Drag Your Teeth Across My Heart
by Deliciously Dark
Summary: He was beautiful. He was unreal. He was a monster. And I couldn't help but fall a little deeper into those molten gold eyes of his.
1. Nightfall

_**AN: PLEASE READ! This is my first ever fan fiction! I was hit with this idea a few days back and I decided to type up the first chapter. Read, enjoy, review, comment, respond, ANYTHING. Just give me your feedback and tell me if I should continue this story or not.**_

_** - Natalie**_

** Chapter One: Nightfall **

Staring at her moonlight tombstone, old and unwanted memories begin to flood into my numbed mind.

She's gone now.

She's gone forever.

And I'm all alone, left to conquer this world by myself.

Well isn't that just a big bowl of crap?

I mean, I'm only fifteen and my mother died last week. Yes, I do feel grief, anger, hatred and loneliness, but I also can't help but feel that my mom was a little bit selfish. She left me. She chose to give up on her cancer. She chose to stop fighting. She was ready to let go. I wasn't. I wanted to stay with her for as long as possible. I wanted her to continue her treatment, I wanted her to continue to fight. But I guess everything good must come to an end.

Even though I've had this mental conversation with myself for the past three days, I feel left out and betrayed. I know my mother just died but did she ever think that when she left, I would have no one? When my dad got into a car accident six years ago, he didn't make it out. My mother promised me she would stay with me forever. She promised she would protect me and love me and care for me with the love of a mom and a dad. But I guess that wasn't a good enough reason to stay with me a little longer, to live with me for a little more.

The tears I've been trying to push back came rushing forward at that thought. The 'oh, I'm fine' mask crumbled and melted away to the face of a depressed and distraught teenager. But can you blame me? I have no where to live, no family to go to and no reason for life. I'll probably be left to wander the streets until some orphanage finds me and imprisons me to eternal damnation.

"You are exaggerating," I whisper to myself. I really want everything to be fine. I _really, really_ do. Maybe if I just force myself to believe it hard enough, it will actually come true.

I scan over my mom's tombstone for the one-hundreth time.

_Sarah Carlucci 1960 - 2010_

_ Beloved mother, widow and daughter. _

_ Loved by all, forgotten by none. _

__Such simple words could capture so much.

My tears began flowing faster now and I didn't even hear the footsteps behind me.

"What's a girl like you doing in a cemetery at this late hour? You really shouldn't be here," A silky and rich male voice came up from behind me. I let out a small scream and turned around slowly. A tall male figure was standing in the moonlight, leaning against a tall tombstone. His bronze hair and hazel eyes shone brightly in the dim lighting, but that wasn't what extracted the gasp from my mouth. His skin... his skin was as pale as the moon.

When I finally regained my senses, I swallowed hard before saying something.

"Who are you?" I managed to question. I hope I sounded sarcastic and tough. I quickly turned around, wiped my tears and turned back to look at the mysterious stranger.

The male chuckled. "That doesn't matter. The question here is who are _you_?"

I glared at him through the darkness. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

I heard him sigh deeply. "Again, the question is what are _you_ doing here?"

"How do I know you're not some serial killer that's going to kill me?"

He stepped closer to me and I could see his strong jaw, full lips and dark eyelashes. It was almost feminine, but he looked so beautiful because of it. I wanted to reach out and touch his pale skin and run my hands through his tousled hair.

"You have my word. I am technically not a serial killer."

I stared at him and crouched lower towards my mom's tombstone. "Technically not a serial killer? _Technically_?"

He ran his hand through his delicious hair. "You wouldn't understand. I would never hurt someone on purpose."

"Oh yeah. That makes everything _so much fucking better_. I mean, you only kill people when you need to, right?" I tried to use my best sarcastic voice. When he didn't respond, I turned away from him and continued to face my mom's tombstone.

"Just tell me who you are. I won't hurt you, okay?" He was getting agitated, I could tell by the strain in his voice.

I was about to turn around, but he suddenly right behind me, his hand on my shoulder. Through my thin sweatshirt, I felt his icy skin on my hot one. A shiver traveled down my spine and a blush slowly crept to my face. His touch made me feel hot and cold, happy and sad, loved and hated. It felt _good_.

I breathed out deeply and spoke the first things that came to my mind. "My name is Marcella Carlucci, but I like to be called Marcy. I am fifteen years old. My mother just died last week and I have been visiting her every night since. My father died in a car accident six years ago. I have no family and no relatives. I am alone and I am currently living in an abandoned firehouse with the small belongings I have. Yeah, isn't my life just great?"

I can't believe I just told a complete stranger pretty much my life story. But I couldn't help it. Staring into those eyes and I was...lost.

"You've got it hard, I've got to admit," he finally said.

I sniffled a bit and turned back around to face him. "So tell me a little about yourself."

He hesitated as if he was trying to find the right things to say. I noticed that he was fidgeting with his hands nervously. Strange, seeing that coming from such a cocky guy. "My name is Greyson Breckinridge and I am...sixteen years old."

I glared at him. His eyes kept avoiding my gaze so I could tell something was up. "That's it?"

Another pause. I could feel the silence between us turn awkward and he backed away from me. "Well, there really isn't anything else I can tell you."

"Sure there is. You could tell me about your family, your friends, your likes, your dislikes..."

"First of all, that's not really any of your business. And I'm here to learn about you. I mean, judging by your looks, you should be at the beach in a skimpy bikini. But here you are, sitting in in a sweatshirt and black jeans on the cold, hard ground," he interrupted.

I pulled at my sweatshirt self-consciously. "Those are just stereotypes. You can't judge me by that. And stop trying to change the subject!"

Greyson eyed me up and down. "I'm not judging. I'm just stating my opinion. And I'm not trying to change the subject, I'm just trying to avoid talking about something I'm not comfortable with."

"Why are you uncomfortable with telling me about yourself?" I stood up next to him. He was almost a whole head taller than me. I tried not to look intimidated, but the way his eyes bore into mine, I couldn't help but shrink away a little. And the cold energy he was radiating did not help either. Something about him seemed off...almost inhuman.

"Well, I just met you today. Doesn't that make us _strangers_?" He asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I trust people easily," I fired back. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at Greyson.

He looked back at me with amused eyes. "That's not going to get you very far in life. Especially your love life."

I almost jumped him then and there. Instead, all I could manage was to glower and appear pissed. Obviously, it did not work because a smirk was tugging at Greyson's lips. I wanted to slap it right off.

"What's it to you?" I spat venomously.

He let out a low chuckle. "Nothing, nothing. Just trying to help out, you know? Stranger to stranger."

"I don't find that funny."

"Find what funny?" He plastered a look of innocence onto his face.

"You. Mocking. Me. It's not funny. It's stupid, annoying and seriously pissing me off! Why are you even here?" I stomped my foot childishly and Greyson backed up a few steps. A tiny spark of satisfaction flitted through my body. I watched as he tilted his head as to listen for something I can't hear. He leaned his body towards the forest behind the cemetery and waited. It was as if time froze. One second, there was a sheepish smile on his face and the next, his lips were pressed into a thin line and his brows were furrowed together in concentration.

Suddenly, a small hint of fear replaced the smirk on Greyson's face. "She's close," he mustered quietly.

"Who?" I asked, trying to compose myself. My hands began to shake.

"You really shouldn't be here. You need to leave, _now_," he said shakily. His voice was low and barely a whisper.

"What's going on?" I was shocked by the sudden mood change. I looked around fearfully and everything in the cemetery seemed silent. Too silent...or maybe that's just me. "What's happening?"

"You need to leave before...before she comes. You need to get out of here or you will be seriously hurt and I can't afford another..." his voice drifted off, but he continued to mumble about saving more dead people and bringing them to life. All I could do was stare.

"Greyson, shut the fuck up and tell me what's wrong!" I shouted, interrupting his mind soliloquy. He snapped out of his trance and looked at me warily.

"I warned you."

"What? Is someone going to come out and kill us?" I tried to look brave but my voice rose a few octaves when I said the word 'kill'.

Greyson shook his head sadly. "Not us, just you."

I looked around again and this time, I saw something dark standing in the grove of trees. "Wha-what do I do?"

"Run," he stated simply.

"Where?" I scrambled around and tugged at my hair nervously. "You're not providing me with any answers!"

I watched as he opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a small gasp. I turned around slowly, but before I could lift my eyes up to see the figure behind me, a sharp pain stabbed me in the back of the head and I was out like a flame.

A rhythmic beeping awoke me. It sounded familiar, I've heard it before. When I was in the hospital with my mom...oh yeah. It's a heart monitor. But why is there one in my room? Am I even in my room?

I ran my hands blindly around on the bed I'm laying in and discovered that the sheets weren't mine. The atmosphere in the room felt different and unfamiliar. The sounds and smells in the room were all strange to me. And everything...everything was so cold.

I tried to open my eyes but they wouldn't open. I tried to say something, but nothing came out. My mouth wouldn't open and my lips won't move. A sharp pain in the back of my head pounded in time with my heart. It hurt like hell.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the hallway and entered the room I was in. A ruffling sound of someone standing up from a chair greeted the footsteps.

"Greyson, what have you done?" A soft and motherly female voice spoke. I pictured the voice to belong to someone with soft brown hair, kind brown eyes and clothes that smelled like flowers and gardens.

I heard someone, probably Greyson, suck in a deep breath. "I...I don't know, Raine. One second, I was warning her to leave and the next, _she_ was there. I had to hit the girl with a sharp rock to make it seem like she was unconscious and I was feeding from her. I was so scared! I've never faced _her_ with a real human so close to me before."

Who is this _her_ that scared the shit out of Greyson?

"What you did was extremely risky. She could of died! You're lucky I was there to make sure everything arrived safely. Greyson, she could have found out about the secret."

"I would never tell her the secret! I didn't know that the human would be there. I could've sworn I made sure the cemetery was empty before I entered it," The voice was followed by a deep sigh.

I could just imagine Raine shaking her head disappointedly. "Well, what do you know about her? I mean, that's the least you can do right? Find out something about her. You know, the Council won't be very happy."

Hesitation. Fear. Nervousness. "Her name is Marcella. She likes to be called Marcy. She is fifteen and her mother died last week. Her father died six years ago in a car accident. She has no relatives or friends and lives alone in an abandoned house. She is lonely. And a beautiful girl like her does not deserve this pain."

If I could blush, I would have. But then again, he forgot my last name.

"Did you find out her last name?" Raine's voice was urgent.

"N-no, ma'am."

There was a very awkward silence.

"Greyson Breckinridge! Do you want all of us to die?"

Greyson shuffled heavily on his feet and I felt his presence closer to my bed. His cold hand brushed my damp hair from my forehead and rested against my cheek. I shivered a little and sighed contently.

"Do not grow attached, Greyson. Remember what happened last time?" Raine's voice was worried and filled with warning.

"Sorry. I won't," Greyson reassured. But his voice did not sound promising.

"It's fine. For now. I will be back to check on Marcella later. And I want you to find out her last name."

"I don't know if she'll be conscious..."

"Oh never mind. I will be back later with The Council. We will decide what your consequence may be once she is well and conscious," the female named Pam said. "Oh and Greyson?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a very lucky boy."

I heard footsteps leaving the room and disappearing down the hall. The room suddenly seemed less tense and I heard Greyson let out a relieved sigh. He walked away from my bed slowly and sat back down in the chair.

_What did I get myself into? _


	2. Secrets on Your Pillow

**Chapter Two: Secrets on Your Pillow**

When I finally woke up, I had no idea what time it was, what day it was and where I was. I was completely and utterly confused. I opened my eyes and looked around feverishly, only to be blinded by the shine of the fluorescent lights above me. I still could here the monotonous beep of the heart monitor, but the consistent, pounding pain in my head had ceased.

I turned my head to the side to see Greyson sitting in a chair, his head in his hands. He wasn't moving and it didn't look like he was breathing much either. I cleared my throat to get his attention.

"Marcy! Thank goodness you're up. How are you?" His eyes, which suddenly were ten shades darker, were big with worry and under them were dark circles. It appeared as if he hadn't slept in days.

"I'm fine. The pain in my head is better now." Upon saying that, I reached my hand up to my forehead to feel a thick gauze bandage wrapped around it. I groaned inwardly. "What day is it? And where am I?"

Greyson chuckled slightly. "It's Monday night. You've been out for around 24 hours…" He trailed off.

"Ugh. I feel gross. And I missed school today. My teachers are going to kill me."

Greyson coughed slightly. "No need to worry about that anymore. You won't be going back to your old school, or that beat up firehouse. You'll be living here with me and all the others."

I gazed at him confusedly. "I'll be living _where_ with you and the _others_?"

He murmured a curse word under his breath. It seemed like he had said some things he didn't mean to say.

"You wouldn't understand. It's complicated," he muttered.

I shook my head at his stubbornness. "How bad could it be? You already slipped a bit, so now you've only made me more curious. I just want to know what made you hit me with a rock."

"You heard?" He asked quietly.

I nodded. "Well, most of it."

He groaned and rested his chin on his hands, looking at me with an unreadable expression.

"So tell me what you heard," he said.

I turned my body so that I was facing him.

"You have to tell me where I am and why first."

Greyson chuckled nervously and placed his hands into his pockets. There was a long pause before he started to speak.

"Well right now, you are at the Casa di Notte." The Italian words rolled off of Greyson's tongue effortlessly.

I stared at him "_What the hell?"_

Greyson shrugged nonchalantly. "I told you that you wouldn't understand. Casa di Notte means House of Night. That's where you are right now. That's where you're going to be staying."

"Is it some sort of school… or what?"

"It's more like an organization that is trying to prevent something really _really _bad from happening," Greyson explained.

"So what do I have to do with any of this? Why am I going to stay here and be a part of this "organization"? I don't get this, at all! I mean, all I did was visit my mom in the cemetery and then you appeared out of the fucking air and told me to leave. And then you proceeded to hit me with a rock and knock me out cold for a whole damn day!"

I watched his shift his feet uncomfortably until he finally sighed and stood up. Greyson walked over to my bedside and placed a cool hand on my burning skin. A wash of relief flooded over me instantly. I closed my eyes and felt his hand push my hair gently away from my forehead and linger there for a moment.

"You ask too many questions," he sighed.

"Fine. I won't ask, I'll just say. Greyson, tell me what happened," I demanded, but my voice was as strong as my will.

Greyson flinched away from me and I looked at him sadly. When he didn't respond, I slapped myself mentally. I've been too pushy on him.

"Okay, if you're not going to answer, I'll just tell you what I heard. I woke up, but my eyes wouldn't open, so I just listened and you were talking to this woman named Raine. She told you something about 'not revealing the secret' and 'don't grow attached because of what happened last time'. Then she said she would go get The Council," I said in one breath. "You need to tell me what's going on!"

No answer. I only received a blank stare.

"Please," I whispered. No response. It was worse than talking to a statue, which he scarily resembled right now.

Finally, Greyson cleared his throat, breaking his mask. "The Council came. They've reached a decision to protect my kind's existence." Then he turned away so he wouldn't have to look at me.

I was shocked. "You're kind? Why can't you just tell me…?"

With his back to me, he whispered in a pained voice, "I'm not ready. You're not ready. If you find out, we'll both just end up getting hurt and possibly killed. It's best if you just stay here with me and the others, pretend that everything is normal and wait until it is safe."

I groaned. "You still haven't told me who the others are."

Greyson turned back around, his eyes suddenly a brighter shade of bronze. "Oh, they're just my friends. You'll learn to like them."

I began to panic. I was not ready to meet new people; in fact, I have not made any new friends in the past three years. All of my friends had either abandoned me or given up on me. I was so depressed in school that I couldn't focus on my studies and had to take a year off. A few good friends have tried to contact me and get me help but it was no use. I was a lost cause.

When I finally returned to school, no one talked to me. No one even looked at me. I was a ghost, waiting for each day to end and dreading the next day to come.

"I-I-I don't know if I'm ready to… to meet new people." My voice was barely audible.

Greyson frowned. "Don't be silly. They're just like you, scared and alone. Some of them might even be worse. I'll introduce you to all of them when you're healed. And trust me; they'll accept you for who you are because you're just like them in some ways."

I nodded and swallowed my worries. "Okay. I guess." I leaned back and closed my eyes, listening to the heart monitor. It was beginning to sound awfully soothing.

Greyson sensed my drowsiness and smiled. "Get some rest. You need it."

I laughed quietly. "Thanks."

I slid down lower in the bed and closed my eyes. I faintly heard Greyson return to his seat.

xxx

_I was in a dark, damp hallway. It was silent except for the constant dripping of water somewhere down the hall. Oddly, I could see everything clearly, like the whole hall was illuminated. _

_The hallway smelled musky and thick, and I tried my best to breathe it in. Even though I didn't need the air, breathing helped me taste the different things that were in this hallway. Somehow it made me feel safer. _

_Someone was walking beside me, their leather shoes clicking in time with my heels. The person next to me was male. And we are very close. So close that I could almost hear his thoughts in my mind and the thought of him being next to me made me smile. But I could not put a face with the male, nor could I place a name. I could only sense that we loved each other._

_I walked down the hallway, looking cautiously from left to right. On the left side, there were windows, but they were barred up with rough pieces of wood. On the right side, there were closed doors that looked like they hadn't been opened in ages. Cob webs and dust motes floated around the air like snow. _

_Suddenly, a cool gust of wind blew past me and I gasped. The male beside me put a protective hand on my arm, holding me steady. _

"_Who's there?" I asked. There was no trace of fear in my voice. My voice was clear and solid._

_There was no answer. _

"_It's probably her," the male said, patting my arm. His voice was smooth and familiar, but it was also strange._

_I paused for a moment before we continued down the hall with an undefined destination. I wasn't thinking; my feet were just moving. _

_Suddenly, there was another gust of cool wind but this time, there was a hint of spices mixed in with the scent. I tilted my nose up in the air and inhaled a deep breath. Yes, I could taste it on my tongue. Someone is here; someone whom I hate very much. _

_The male next to me did the same. When he smelled the new scent in the air, his lips pulled into a small smirk. He turned to me and nodded, but when he faced me, I could not see his face. _

"_I know you're here," I stated simply. _

_A few seconds later, there was a light, tinkling laugh. But it wasn't a happy laugh. It was a sinister one. "You shouldn't be here," an angelic voice warned. _

_I growled a low, menacing growl. "I'm here so I can finish what we started." _

_Swiftly, a figure appeared in front of me, but I could not see her face. I only saw the outline of her lithe body in the moonlight. I smiled. _

"_So you're finally brave enough to face me," I snarled. _

_The woman growled and her eyes became a bloody red color. _

"_You know I've only been waiting for the perfect moment, Marcella," she replied. While she was talking, she had walked closer to me so that we were eye to eye._

"_I'm not scared," I warned. The male beside me growled deeply._

"_Wrong answer," the woman snickered. _

_I crouched down to the ground, getting ready to pounce. "I'm ready when you are."_

_The woman laughed again and crouched, also preparing to lunge. "Then let's dance." _

"_No!" The male screamed. He reached for me, but I was already gone. _

_The woman and I launched our bodies towards each other, facing the impact halfway. We rolled, twisted, kicked, punched and clawed. I pushed her through a door. She pushed me into the floor. It kept going on and on, back and forth. _

_There was no use. We were both equally as strong. But I was growing weak. There was a burning in the back of my throat and my limbs were growing limp. The woman pinned me down onto the cold stone floor and she spat in my face._

"_You are weak," she snarled. _

_I pushed and pulled but it was no use. She suddenly felt like a mountain, sitting on top of my arms. _

"_Marcy! Use it!" The male voice commanded, but the sound of his voice was growing fainter and fainter. _

_I nodded faintly and gripped the woman's arms. Summoning all of my strength, I gripped her arms as hard as I could. _

_An intense white light illuminated the room. An ear-splitting scream cut the damp air in half._

_And then everything went black and I fell into nothingness._

xxx

I awoke with my heart beating a mile a minute. My forehead was damp but the rest of my body was surprisingly cold. I looked to my side to see that Greyson was not there anymore. A wave of disappointment washed over me as I realized that he didn't stay with me.

But why do I want him to be with me so much? He is just a stranger after all. I shrugged off my confusion and lifted up the heavy covers.

As my feet hit the floor, the icy coldness shocked me to attention. I gasped quietly and walked away from the bed. My legs were sore from lying down for so long.

I walked towards the nearest window and peered out the window. The sun was just beginning to rise. I studied the scene outside. None of it I could recognize.

We were in a forest, and there was a big river running through the trees. I could see the faint outline of other buildings in the woods, but that was it. There were no people walking around, no cars beeping at each other. I was in the middle of no where.

"You're up. How are you feeling?" A voice suddenly sounded in the room.

I screamed and turned around, only to see Greyson's smiling face. I sighed and walked towards the bed.

"Hey, don't do that." I said, catching my breath.

Greyson chuckled. "Sorry, I can't help it. It's just so fun to scare you."

I glared at him. "Son of a bitch."

He smiled and walked towards the chair, sitting down slowly. I watched as he ran his hand through his hair a couple of times.

"So are you okay?" He asked.

I smoothed out my sweatshirt and jeans. "Yeah, I'm better now," I said. "Are you going to answer my questions?"

Greyson sighed. "As long as they're not about me and who I am."

"Darn," I smiled. "Well, what about all of my stuff and where am I going to be staying?"

Greyson looked like he had a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Thank goodness. I thought you were going to bombard me with more questions about why I hit you with a rock."

"Not funny!" I playfully yelled.

Greyson laughed a velvety laugh. "Well, you will have a roommate, but we will figure that out later. All of your stuff has been taken care of and are already unpacked in your room for you."

I stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "How did you manage to…?"

"I stalked you for a bit and found out where you lived."

I continued to stare at him, which only made him laugh.

"Just kidding! Damn, you are gullible."

I crossed my arms at him. "Well maybe if you weren't such a good liar, I wouldn't have believed you. I bet you lie everyday to be _that good_."

"Ouch, that one hurt," Greyson pouted humorously.

"You deserve it."

"Yeah, I guess I do…" he trailed off but snapped back into attention. "So are you ready to meet the rest of the gang?"

I sighed. I would have to meet them sooner or later. And sooner would be best, so I could get it over with. "Um, sure."

"Good." He came over to the bed and unplugged the heart monitor from my finger. Then he grabbed my hand and led me out of the room.


	3. You're Gonna Catch Me

**Reviews? This may be the longest chapter yet (:**

**Chapter Three: I Don't Need a Parachute, You're Gonna Catch Me **

Greyson lead me down the hall and down the staircase. He was walking at a furious speed, probably from excitement, but I still managed to glimpse what the building looked like.

It was a makeshift hospital. There were rooms with beds and some of them were occupied. I caught sight of some nurses and doctors walking around and they were all equally pale and beautiful, just like Greyson. Some of them smiled at me and some of them barely gave me a second glance, which I was grateful for.

Once we were out the doors, the smell of wet grass and fresh air hit me like a truck. I did not notice that Greyson was walking so fast, he was almost dragging me along.

We sped through the trees and I looked back at the hospital; it was a tall brick building with shutters and wooden double doors. It looked cozy and welcoming and above the main door there was a sign that said 'Hospital Wing'.

"Greyson, why are we walking so fast?" A piece of my brown hair flew into my mouth and I coughed.

Greyson slowed down and pulled the hair out of my mouth with a smile. "Sorry, I'm just excited. I haven't seen some of the people we're going to meet today in years."

I brushed the dried leaves off my pants. "Okay, but you could at least give me a tour of this place."

Greyson looked around and narrowed his bronze eyes. "You mean you want me to tell you about these trees? Well, if that's what you want…"

"No! I mean of the buildings," I slapped his arm, but it was like slapping a metal pole. I tried to hide my grimace but Greyson noticed and chuckled.

"I'll give you a tour once we reach the Elites' Building."

"What's the Elites' Building? A building for wealthy people?"

"Not exactly. It's more like the dorm building for the most important people in the House of Night."

I looked at him quizzically. "And who would those people be?"

Greyson shrugged. "You, me and my friends."

"Me?" I screamed.

Greyson looked around worriedly. "Yes you. Now be quiet, you'll attract unwanted creatures."

Before I could respond, Greyson took my arm and pulled me off through the forest.

After a few more minutes of running, we approached a giant building made out of glass…literally. All of the walls were windows, but I could not see inside. I mean, the windows looked really clean, but I couldn't see anything. It was really weird.

Greyson must have noticed my puzzled look because he laughed quietly.

"No one can see inside, but everyone can see outside," he explained.

I nodded. "That makes so much sense," I said sarcastically.

"It'll make more sense once we get inside." He pulled at my arm impatiently and I followed him up the white stone steps. The whole building looked white and clean, a very big contrast from the earthy tones of the Hospital Wing and the moss greens of the surrounding trees and shrubs. But it was beautiful none-the-less.

We walked through a pair of stainless steel double-doors and right in front of me was the grandest foyer I have ever seen.

There were two curved staircases on opposite sides of each other, and the wooden railings were decorated with intricate carvings of leaves and flowers.

Above me was a magnificent crystal chandelier and it was hung upon a beautiful white ceiling with a very striking molding.

To the side of the right staircase, there was a room that looked like a study. It had giant double doors, but they were open. There was a huge fireplace and shelf after shelf of books. The room looked warm and cozy with its mahogany shelves and red plush seats.

To the side of the left staircase, there was a computer room. I could glimpse the Apple laptops and Mac desktops. Everything was very high-tech and very, very white. It had a sliding door that was closed, but it was glass, so I could see inside.

I turned around to face the entrance and what Greyson said was true. I could see through the glass walls as if nothing were there between me and the wilderness. It was breathtaking.

"Amazing isn't it?" Greyson suddenly asked.

I nodded, not able to find words. "I'll be living here?"

"Yeah. Now let's go find our housemates."

He led be between the staircases and into a grand living room. It had a high ceiling, which only looked even higher with the window walls. The whole space was like a giant game room, living room and dance club mixed together. There was no kitchen or eating area, which was a bit strange.

I looked up and saw that on the high ceiling hung colorful round lanterns and various small lights that resembled stars. You had to step down a couple of steps to get into the room, which was pretty cool.

The floor of the room was covered in the plushest carpet in the prettiest shade of cream, a beautiful contrast to the dark wooden floors in the foyer.

There was a giant plasma screen TV hung above the fireplace and under it; there was various gaming consoles and a whole shelf of video games.

Next, there was an enormous couch that was shaped like a half circle and there were also bean bags and small, round stools to sit on.

Behind the couch was a bar with plastic bar stools that looked very modern. And next to the bar was a light-up dance floor complete with a DJ booth, disco ball, flashing lights, and giant stereos.

This place was a teenager's heaven on Earth. It was absolutely and positively _awesome. _

"You like it?" Greyson asked after patiently waiting for me to finish looking at the place.

"I love it," I breathed. "Now, where are you're important friends?"

"They're probably upstairs in their rooms. Let's go find them." He grabbed my hand and we walked back to the foyer and up one of the grand staircases.

When we reached the second floor, the smell of flower perfume wafted up my nose.

"This is the girls' floor, as you can tell by the smell."

"I don't mind," I smirked.

Greyson shook his head. "Of course. I forgot I was talking to a girl."

I wrinkled my nose at him which only got me a smile in return. I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Just take me to the damn boys' floor."

"Pushy pushy," Greyson said with a grin. He took my hand and led me up another set of stairs, but these were spiraling.

Once we reached the top, the smell of cologne, dirty laundry and alcohol drifted up my nose. My eyes started to water and I coughed a bit.

Greyson inhaled deeply. "Now that is more like it."

I gazed at him with repulsion. "You and your little dorm buddies are absolutely filthy and disgusting!"

He shrugged. "We're boys. What do you expect?"

"Hell yeah, brah, us males rock," a new, deep voice interrupted my conversation with Greyson.

I looked to see where the voice came from and there, standing in basketball shorts and nothing else, was another beautiful and pale boy. He had dark brown, messy hair and excited green eyes and his mouth was pulled into a huge grin. His upper body was toned; he had abs, strong biceps and broad shoulders. He looked like a football player.

He was similar and yet very different from Greyson. Greyson seemed more gentle and caring whilst he seemed rowdy and teasing.

"Who's your little friend, Greyson?" The boy asked, glancing at me with curious eyes. I blushed slightly under his gaze.

"Logan, this here is Marcy Carlucci. She's…uh… new," Greyson said.

Logan sniffed the air. "She smells delicious."

"What?" I yelled. I backed away from Logan with my hands held in front of me.

Greyson noticed my sudden reaction and growled lowly. "Logan, I need to talk to you. Privately."

Logan shrugged and followed Greyson into a room.

I stood there awkwardly at first. Then I decided to sit down in one of the couches in the lounge area on the floor.

I was minding my own business, and trying to hear what Greyson was saying, when I felt a presence behind me. I whipped my head around to see another boy staring at me. This boy was tall and skinny with long, reddish hair covering his eyes. He smiled at me and held out his hand. I shook it cautiously.

"My name is Cody Towns. You must be Marcy."

I looked at Cody incredulously. "How do you know my name?"

Cody laughed softly. "Greyson and Logan aren't the quietest people I know."

I sighed, relieved. "Tell me about it. I mean, that Logan boy is hot and everything, but he told Greyson that I smelled delicious. How weird is that?"

"He is so blunt sometimes," Cody agreed.

"So, do you room with them?"

"Not exactly. You see, my roommate it Lucy Loo. She's my mate, so we room together. I think she's out shopping with the other girls so you'll meet them later."

I nodded. "So Greyson and Logan room together?"

"Pretty much. I feel bad for Greyson, though," Cody said. "Logan is a bit rough sometimes."

I laughed. It was the first time in days. "I can tell by the way he looks. He's brave enough to come out with no shirt on."

"Logan rarely has a shirt on when he's in the building," Cody said, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Greyson and Logan emerged from the room. Greyson looked calm, but his eyes were angry and dark. Logan looked indifferent and casual.

Before they got closer to where I was sitting, Greyson gripped Logan's arm hard before letting him go. Logan cast him an annoyed glance and headed towards the stairs. He gave me a polite nod before walking down them.

"What was that all about?" I asked Greyson. Cody nodded in agreement.

"It was nothing," Greyson said, avoiding my gaze.

There was an uneasy silence between us and Cody shifted uncomfortably.

"Well I'm gonna go and play some Xbox 'cause, you know, Black Ops just came out, so yeah…later. Nice meeting you, Marcy," Cody said before disappearing down the stairs quickly.

When I was sure Cody wasn't listening - I could hear his angry shouts at the game - I got up from the couch and walked towards Greyson.

"Why. Did. Logan. Say. I. Smelled. Delicious?" I spat through my teeth.

Greyson looked at me apprehensively. "Are you sure you're ready?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "I am so damn ready."

"You might want to sit down for this. It's a bit… unnerving."

"Try me," I challenged as I sat down calmly. I crossed my arms, leaned back, and waited for the news.

Greyson sighed and ran his hand through his hair a couple of times.

"Me and my friends, well, we're not technically human. You might even consider us monsters."

There was a long and awkward silence between us. I was breathing raggedly and Greyson didn't appear to be breathing at all.

I swallowed tensely. "Just spit it out."

"We're vampires. And I have to turn you into a vampire."

I stood up from my seat unexpectedly. "This isn't some laughing matter, Greyson!"

He looked at me, his eyes filled with hurt. "I knew you wouldn't believe me! I knew it! I knew it! But it's true. Everything I am telling you is the fucking truth, so you better believe it because you have no other goddamn place to run."

I gripped my hair tightly and let out a shaky breath. "This can't be happening to me. This can't be…it's so unreal…I'm dreaming…"

I sat down slowly, almost losing my balance. My head was getting fuzzy and everything around me was spinning.

Greyson came over and sat down next to me. "It's all real, Marcy. You're not dreaming. I'm a vampire and from the first moment I met you, I wanted your blood."

I screamed, shot up, and ran away from the couch. "Don't you dare touch me! Don't you fucking touch me!"

Greyson walked towards me, holding his hands out. "I'm not going to hurt you. I swear, Marcy, I would never do such a thing."

I glared at him with uncertain eyes. He didn't have a teasing gleam in his eyes. His face was serious and so was his tone. I waited until my breathing slowed before I began to talk.

"So it's all real," my voice was a mere whisper.

Greyson nodded. "Yes."

I sighed and clapped my hands. "Well then. I'll be living in a house full of 'technically not people' who all want my blood."

"It sounds so bad when you put it that way," Greyson groaned.

I laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood.

"So when are you going to change me?" I asked.

"Whenever you're ready. I won't rush you. It's your body," Greyson responded.

I smiled at him. "Thanks, I needed that."

Greyson smiled back, revealing his perfect white teeth. "Don't worry; I'll be there to catch you when you're falling."

We looked into each other's eyes; his golden ones meeting my blue ones.

He was beautiful. He was unreal. He was a monster. And I couldn't help but fall a little deeper into those molten gold eyes of his.

"Greyson, Marcy, the girls are back!" Someone, probably Cody, called to us from downstairs.

I looked away awkwardly and Greyson cleared his throat.

"Well, we better get going. I want to introduce you to your roommate."

"Uh, yeah. That would be nice."

He gave me a small smile before turning around, and I followed him down the stairs.

As we walked into the lounge, I saw three girls, correction, three _goddesses_ standing in front of the couch where Cody and Logan were seated. All three of them had overflowing shopping bags in hand and designer purses hanging off the crook of their elbow.

The girl in the middle, the tallest of the three, had fiery red hair and piercing green eyes. She was wearing a simple black skirt paired with a white blouse and black heels and even though she was dressed maturely, she still looked young and very, very striking.

The second girl, a bit shorter than the first, had short blond hair to her shoulders. Above her lip was a diamond piercing. She had on black glasses that framed her gray eyes. She was wearing a long black v-neck and a pair of silver leggings and black boots.

The last girl was also mainly blond. The rest of her hair was a variety of blacks, pink and stripes. There was a piercing on her pink lips and her bluish-green eyes were shiny with enthusiasm. She was wearing a hoodie, lots of bracelets, and super tight black jeans.

All three girls were unbelievably beautiful. All three girls were unbelievably pale and all three girls were vampires, who could probably smell my blood right now.

As I took a step closer, the red-haired girl whipped around to face me. Her green eyes grew as she smelled the air subtly and she smiled a wicked smile.

"Greyson, long time no see. I've missed you," she said in a light, tinkling voice. "I see you have brought us a snack."

Greyson took hold of my wrist and held it to his side.

"She's not a snack, Taryn. She's one of us now."

Taryn narrowed her eyes at me. "Funny you say that, Grey, because she sure doesn't smell like one of us."

Grey. She called Greyson by a nickname. It made her seem so dominant.

Greyson's grip on me tightened. "She's not ready yet. But she will be one of us. And if you lay one fucking finger on her, I will personally make sure you learn your damn lesson. Properly," he snarled.

Taryn widened her eyes in shock, but recovered immediately. She took a smooth step towards Greyson and laid a manicured hand on his shoulder.

"Baby, I was kidding."

At the sound of the pet name, Greyson recoiled and growled quietly.

"Don't call me that," he snarled.

Taryn laughed again. "I was only kidding. I've missed you, that's all." She stepped away from him and went back to the group of girls.

Cody stood up and walked towards the multi-colored hair girl, taking her hand and holding it.

"Marcy, this is my mate, Lucy Loo," he introduced.

Lucy gave Cody a kiss on the cheek and smiled warmly at me.

"A pleasure to meet you, Marcy," she said.

I smiled back. "You too."

Logan stood up from his seat and walked next to the short-haired blond girl. "And that means that little Marcy here gets to room with the lesbian."

"What?" I choked.

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. "My name is Helena Block. It's a pleasure to be your roommate. And Logan here, the smartass that he is, forgot to mention that I am the best fighter in the group. So you better watch your pretty little ass, Logan."

"But you're a lesbian?"

Helena chuckled. "Yes I am. But no worries, I won't come after you. I have a girlfriend."

"Yeah and pigs fly," Logan mumbled under his breath.

Helena turned around, punched Logan in the stomach and sent him crashing back into the couch. I laughed at the sight of such a strong vampire being defeated by such a petite girl.

Helena walked towards me and gave me a friendly hug. "Don't mind Taryn," she whispered in my ear. "She's just jealous that Greyson's attention is on another girl."

I kept that smile to myself.

Once everyone was done introducing each other, we all sat down on the couches and discussed the whole 'vampirism' and 'House of Night' business.

"So what exactly is the House of Night and what is the purpose of it?" I asked.

"Well, it was formed by the Council, which consists of King Archon, Queen Celeste, Lady Josefina, Sir Adomis and Raine Fairnes. It was formed to stop the Rogues from creating more vampires just because they want to control the Earth," Lucy answered.

"And who are the Rogues?" I asked.

This time, Logan responded. "The member of the Rogues used to be a part of the Council, which only wants to protect the vampire existence and keep everything in order. But the Rogues got bored of it and decided to rebel. Right now, the leader of the Rogues is Sylvester and his mate is Elvira, who is the best spy to have known to exist. And Sylvester's second in command is Lucifer. As we speak, they are turning more and more innocent humans into vampires so that they may defeat us."

"Why are they doing that?"

"Because us vampires drink human blood so we can feel. So we can laugh and cry and be angry and fall in love. Without blood, we will grow weak and we will just waste away. That is why we need the blood. But the Rogues think that if vampires controlled the world, we vampires wouldn't have to hunt for blood secretly or get it from the hospital. We could just walk around and attack humans when we need it. But the Council has created this medicine called Elixir, which allows the blood effect to last forever. We wouldn't have to keep hunting humans anymore so that means that the world can exist in peace. Sadly, the Rogues believe that to be vampires, we have need to constantly hunt blood and therefore, they want to destroy all products of Elixir or else, they believe, that the whole vampire race will die off," Helena explained.

"That is a lot of information," I sighed.

"It is a hell of a lot. But all of us have had way over ten years to cope with it, so it's more like old news to us," Cody said.

I was growing tired, but decided to continue asking more questions.

"Greyson, why were you in the cemetery?"

"I was there because I was trying to create a treaty between us and the Rogues. I brought a sample of Elixir for Elvira to test out, but things didn't go as planned and she ran away."

"Was it because I was there?" I asked.

Greyson shook his head. "Not necessarily."

I decided to change the subject because I wasn't really ready to talk about that yet.

"So what are the Elites?"

"We are the Elites; you, me, Helena, Cody, Lucy, Taryn and Logan. We are the best of the best vampires at this House because we all have some sort of secret power. Cody can read people's minds. That's how he knew your name, he wasn't listening to our conversation, he was twenty miles away, returning from a mission. Helena is the best fighter because she has a sixth sense. She can anticipate your every move, every decision and every thought without even knowing what you are thinking about. Lucy can talk to animals. She can communicate with them to let her know if there is danger in the area and what not.

"Logan is the strongest vampire here because he can control your mind and make you weaker. He will then take your strength and combine it with his own. Taryn can inflict pain just by looking at you. It's all mental pain, of course. She could bring up your deepest and darkest fears, memories, thoughts and pretty much anything. And lastly, I can enter your dreams and manipulate your thoughts or steal your ideas. It is very time consuming and it takes a lot of energy so I try not to do it often, but sometimes it comes in handy," Greyson clarified.

"So then why am I here? Do I have a rare power as well?" I asked.

"No, you are still a human, but you will," Taryn answered. Surprisingly, she looked at me with kinder eyes and the tone of her voice was more pleasant. But she was still tense around me.

"How do you know?"

"Vampires can only have super powers when they're a pure blood. And you can only be a pureblood when your father is a vampire, since vampire women can't reproduce."

I gasped loudly. "So you're saying my dad was a vampire?"

"Honey, your dad is King Archon," Taryn said.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Marcy, the only reason I was in the cemetery when you were was because I knew you were going to be there. I knew your dad was a vampire and that he needed your help. Luckily, that night, Elvira was there so I had an excuse to bring you here. Marcy, you are the only heir to the throne."

The room spun in tight circles around me and I couldn't get enough air into me fast enough.

I fell backwards into a pair of cold arms. Then everything went black.


	4. Right in all the Wrong Ways

**Thank you everyone for reviewing! They mean a lot to me! You guys are awesome. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**- lady **

**Chapter Four: Right in All the Wrong Ways**

"She's weak," a female voice spoke softly, but urgently. The voice sounded oddly like Taryn.

"She's not weak, Taryn!" A boy shouted, confirming my thoughts. He sounded a lot like Greyson.

Taryn sighed. "If she wasn't weak, she wouldn't have passed out like that, Grey."

So it was Greyson.

I heard a deep and uncomforting sigh. "You know what? If I snuck up on you in a cemetery, knocked you out cold for a whole damn day, then proceeded to take you to my home, had my friend tell you that you smelled good, then I told you I was a vampire and then you found out that your dad was the _mother fucking king of all vampires_, you would pass out too."

I heard Taryn tap her foot uneasily. "Well if you put it that way…"

"No matter which fucking way I put it, it sounds bad!" Greyson shouted. I heard his angry footsteps pace around the room.

"Grey, I don't think she's prepared to be one of us," Taryn said. Her voice was comforting but there was an edge to it.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Greyson snarled. I have never seen him curse like this before.

"I-I-I was just trying to say that maybe if she can't handle all of this information, she can't handle the transformation. There is a 45% chance that she won't make it through," Taryn stuttered, slightly taken aback.

"Why would you say that? Do you want her to die? Is that it?" Greyson's voice was unusually loud.

"Greyson Breckinridge, stop yelling at me! I'm just trying to say what's best for all of us."

"It's already too late. If I don't turn her, she'll be in even more danger than she is now. She already knows the secret."

Taryn sighed, frustrated. "We could brainwash her."

"Oh yeah, let's find a vampire that knows how to do that," Greyson retorted sarcastically.

"Well, maybe Cody or Helena could use some of their mind powers and do something so that Marcella can't remember anything."

I mentally cringed at the sound of my full name.

"Her name's Marcy," Greyson growled.

And that feeling of awkwardness immediately lifted and was replaced with a slight smugness.

"Whatever," Taryn groaned. "I just think she'll be just an extra weight to carry. She'll probably hold back the team."

There was a loud crash as someone threw something against the wall. Someone, I think Taryn, screamed.

"You shut up! You don't know what you're talking about you crazy, psychotic bitch! Get out of my face!" Greyson screamed. I tried not to recoil at his voice and kept pretending I was still passed out.

"Grey… I was just trying…"

"Shut up! Shut up! _Shut up_! And stop calling me Grey! Now get out of my face before I get even angrier!"

Taryn started crying quietly and I heard her shuffle out of the room. Suddenly, there was stomping footsteps up the stairs and back into the room. But this time, I could tell it wasn't a girl.

"What the fuck was that about, Greyson?" A deep voice asked.

Greyson sighed. "Taryn is pissing the hell out of me, Logan."

So now it's Logan that's in the room.

"Well that doesn't give you an excuse to throw a vase at her!"

"What's a vase gonna do to her? Break her nails? She's a fucking vampire for god's sake. A vase won't even scratch her."

More footsteps enter the room.

"Calm the hell down Greyson. I don't want any fighting in this house." The voice sounded like Cody, and because it was male and Cody was the only male left, it had to be him.

"I'm pissed," Greyson plainly stated.

"Well if that wasn't obvious enough," Logan snapped.

There was an extremely stressed silence in the air. I decided it was time for me to open my eyes. I sat up straight and looked around; I was lying on a couch in a lounge. Probably the boys' one telling from the smell that immediately permeated my nose.

I turned to look at the three boys standing in a tense circle next to me.

"All of you shut the fuck up!" I screamed.

They all turned around with shocked looks on their faces. Logan mumbled something inaudible under his breath and walked back down the stairs. Cody mouthed an apology to me, patted Greyson on the shoulder and left without a sound.

"Greyson, be quiet," I commanded.

He looked at me with guilty eyes. "Marcy, I'm really…"

"I said be quiet!" I interrupted.

His face fell and I almost broke my cover.

"I'm going to talk," I said. "If you don't want me here, just ask me to leave. Honestly, I don't want to be here. My life was fine before I met you and it's going to be fine when I leave. Don't force yourself in believing that I'll do some good to your little secret society, because I don't want any part of it."

He walked towards me slowly. "Marcy, you know I want you to be here. All of us do."

I looked at him in disbelief. "How could you do that? How could you lie to my face? I can't stay here because Taryn obviously doesn't want me to stay!"

"Marcy, calm down…"

"No, you calm down!" I screamed. "I can't believe this! I can't believe this…" The tears started falling and I couldn't hold myself together anymore. I didn't know what to believe.

Greyson came to my seat on the couch and sat by me. He placed a cold arm around my shoulder and held me as I cried.

"I don't get it. Why does it have to be me?" I cried.

"Shh, it's going to be okay, Marcy. Everything will be okay," Greyson comforted.

"That's not true. Nothing will ever be okay."

Greyson turned me so that I was looking straight into his beautiful eyes.

"Marcy, you're being stubborn. I will protect you and keep you safe and you know that. I won't ever let you get hurt."

I looked at him with doubt.

"I don't know Greyson. It's just…" I looked away.

Greyson shook my shoulders so that my attention was back to him.

"Marcella Carlucci, look me in the eyes and tell me that I'm lying," he instructed. "I love you, Marcy."

My eyes widened in shock.

"You…what?" I gasped. My voice was a soft whisper.

Greyson shook his head. "I knew I shouldn't have said that. I'm so stupid."

I shook my head quickly, placing a hand on his stone cold and marble smooth cheek.

"You love me," I repeated.

Greyson chuckled slightly. "Is it really that hard to believe? I would've never gotten so mad at Taryn over someone I didn't love."

Keeping my hand on his cheek, I used my other hand to gently run my hands through his bronze hair.

"You love me," I repeated again.

Greyson looked me dead in the eyes, gold ones meeting blue ones. "I've loved you since the day I met you in the cemetery."

"That was only two days ago," I recalled.

Greyson laughed. "It may seem like only two days to you, but for us vampires, it was more like two years. Time moves by slowly when you don't need to sleep, eat or use the bathroom. Also, our brains can comprehend so much more than an average human's brain. We have all this space we can use up, which means more space to develop our feelings and emotions, when we have blood in our body that is."

I smacked him playfully on the arm, which hurt me way more that it hurt him.

"Show off," I said.

"I'm just stating the truth."

I laughed and leaned in closer so that I could smell his soap and his mint toothpaste. "I like an honest boy."

Greyson leaned in so that our noses were almost touching.

"I like a girl who likes an honest boy."

He brushed his cool lips against mine; slowly and softly. But even with his gentle movements, I felt a spark of electricity between us. My face suddenly felt hot with love and my body moved closer to his, pressing against his hard chest. He placed both of his icy hands on my hot cheeks, trying to distinguish the flames. Suddenly, he sighed against my lips and I could taste his sweet breath on my tongue.

That's when it hit me. He was all mine forever and ever. All he wanted was me and all I wanted was him. We were meant to be.

Too soon, he pulled away and I looked down, embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed," he murmured.

I shook my head stubbornly. "I'm not."

"Then what's wrong," Greyson asked, a hint of worry in his smooth voice.

"I just figured out that I love you too."


	5. I Don't Love You

**Thank you so so so so much for reviewing! You guys are the best! Your reviews are so kind and helpful to me. I promise I won't disappoint you guys with this story. As a reward, I present you guys with Chapter 5. Enjoy! *You guys might hate me a little for this chapter***

_**(P.S. I changed my name to Deliciously Dark. It seemed a bit catchier)**_

**- darky (- also quite catchy)**

**Chapter Five: I Don't Love You Like I Did Yesterday**

"Thank goodness you're here, Marcy. I was just about to go up and find you. What have you and Greyson been doing up there?" Helena questioned with a smirk as Greyson and I walked into the living area on the first floor. My cheeks immediately flamed when she asked me the question. I looked to Greyson to see that he looked perfectly normal and there was even a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Look at you, always worrying," Greyson reprimanded teasingly. "Marcy and I were just getting to know each other." Catching my eye, he winked at me, which only caused me to blush some more.

Helena shook her head. "Well that took long enough. Marcy doesn't even know what our room looks like yet. You're so damn selfish."

Greyson stuck out his tongue childishly. "Bitch," he mumbled under his breath. It was so low that it took me a few seconds to figure out what he said. But Helena heard it anyways and rolled her eyes.

"I'm a fucking vampire. Even if you try to whisper, it sounds like you're shouting at me," Helena replied, annoyed. She took my hand and pulled me back up the stairs with brute strength. She literally dragged me up. "Come on Marcy. There's no time to waste. I can even show you Taryn's room 'cause she's out right now."

I tried to conceal the wave of guilt that hit me. Taryn probably left because of me. I was the reason that she got in such a huge fight with Greyson. And speaking of Greyson, he just told me that he loved me and I kind of said it back. But am I really ready for this?

When we reached the top of the stairs, the familiar scent of perfume wafted up my nose and I calmed immediately.

"Doesn't that feel nice," Helena asked, interrupting my internal conversation with myself.

I nodded and hummed. "It does. I could get used to this."

Helena giggled. "Wait till you see our room. It's fucking awesome!"

I rolled my eyes and followed her. "Does everyone swear like sailors around here?"

"It's always Logan and Greyson. They swear so much it gets annoying. But once you've lived with them for around three years, it's like water; you can't live without it."

"Let's sure hope I get used to that," I said, just as we walked through a pair of black marble double doors.

"This is the first room on the girl's floor: our room," Helena gestured for me to come in.

The sight I was faced took my breath away.

It was absolutely amazing. The whole room was black and white. All the walls were as white as snow with an intricate French-looking black pattern painted on it. On the wall facing the door, there was a huge glass door in the middle and through it; I could see a balcony with four white lawn chairs. The door had a white curtain that was pulled to the side so light could come in. There was a window on each side of the glass door, so the room was really illuminated by the sunlight.

In front of the wall to my left were two queen sized beds covered with black and white patterned blankets and matching pillows. The pattern didn't look cheesy at all; it looked elegant and classy. Next to each bed were black nightstands and black lamps.

In the center of the room, there was a black rug that stood out magnificently against the white carpeting. And to the wall on my right, there was a huge plasma screen TV hung on it. A crescent shaped black leather couch was placed in front of it with a glass coffee table.

To the side of the TV area was a big black door. I looked at it curiously.

"Our closet," Helena answered.

"How did you…"

Helena rolled her gray eyes. "I can anticipate your every thought…blah blah blah."

"Right."

I did a once over the room and sighed contently. It was the nicest place I had ever stayed.

"You like?" Helena asked.

"Hell yes. This place is incredible," I gushed.

Helena laughed and went to sit on the bed furthest away from the door. I assumed it was her bed since it wasn't technically 'made'.

I followed her and sat on the empty bed, which was probably meant for me, and looked up at the ceiling. A huge black and crystal chandelier hung from the middle.

"This place will never cease to amaze me," I said, mainly to myself.

Helena nodded. "I've been living here for around three years now and every time I walk into this room, I sigh. I just can't believe I live here."

I smiled at her. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, unless she wants to be more than friends…because she's a lesbian.

"No, I will not try to come after you. Like I said, I have a girlfriend; she just lives in another building. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable in any way. I honestly don't want it to be awkward between us because of my sexual orientation," Helena said skeptically.

I gasped in surprise. "No no no! I don't think anything of your sexual orientation. I think it's awesome that you're a lesbian. I was just thinking…"

"Sure. You were just thinking," Helena grumbled but a smile was tugging at her lips.

She flopped back into her bed, which caused the sheets to puff up around her. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Shut up, new girl," she complained. "These sheets are just so damn fluffy."

I laughed again and it felt good. I felt like a weight had been lifted off me and I could finally be normal for once. People could finally accept me now that I'm surrounded by people…vampires that are just as bizarre as me.

Helena rolled to her side so that she could face me and she rested her face in her hand, using her elbow to prop her up.

"So you got any questions about us blood suckers?" She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Uhm, yeah. If vampires can't stand the sun, why are the blinds open? And why is this house made of glass?" I asked, cautiously.

Helena chuckled. "That's all bullshit that people made up to make us vampires seem crazy. We can walk in the sun, we'll just burn quicker and easier than regular humans do. To tell you the truth, we actually like the sun. It makes up feel warm again."

"So all of you guys can go to the beach and tan?"

"Not necessarily. Like I said, we will burn quickly. Some vampires, usually the ones without special powers, will burn faster than the ones that have powers. It's just something that has to do with our blood."

I stared at Helena. "So vampires have blood?"

Another laugh escaped her lips. "No, we get the blood from the humans we drink from. That's why we vampires feel so cold. We don't have enough blood in our bodies to keep us human temperature. But venom also runs in our veins and the type of venom we have depends on if we have powers or not. Vampires with no powers have weaker and slower venom, so if they were to bite someone, they would die slower or they would change slower. Vampires with powers can kill someone with just on little injection."

I nodded. "So what about kissing then?" My face flushed a bit at the topic as I recalled my earlier encounter with Greyson.

"We can control the amount of venom we produce," Helena answered simply. "Is that all?"

"Uhm, no. Sorry, I've got a lot of questions," I mumbled.

"It's fine," Helena answered and waited for me to continue.

"So vampires can feel? They have emotions and feelings and stuff?"

"Well, yeah. Vampires can fall in love, hate each other, cry and laugh. We can do anything humans do, if not better. Except for the fact that we cry blood mixed with venom, we can feel like humans, but only when we have enough blood in our bodies. If we were to go…say a year without blood, we would turn into zombies, literally. We would be like walking dead people."

I laughed at the thought of Helena walking around, dead. Technically, she already was, but her being even more dead than she is right now appeared humorous to me.

Helena looked at me with amused eyes which only caused me to laugh more.

Suddenly, she got up, walked to the cooler next to the TV and pulled out what looked like a bottle of unnaturally red wine. She brought it back with her to the bed, sat down, popped open the top and took a long swig of the liquid.

"Is that alcohol? I really need some right now," I said, reaching out for the bottle. Swallowing the liquid she held in her mouth, she pulled the bottle away from me tensely and held out a hand.

"What?" I asked.

"You don't want to drink this, it's…"

I threw my hands up in the air, exasperated. "You don't think I can handle the booze? My dad and mom died for heaven's sake! I used to down like two bottles of wine a day to numb out the pain. Hand me the fucking bottle."

When she shook her head, I lunged at her, stealing the bottle away. Before she could say anything, I placed my mouth at the opening and poured a mouthful of red liquid into my mouth. And then the taste hit me.

I spat out the liquid like it was poison, staining the clean white sheets.

Helena gave me a look of 'I told you so'.

"What the hell is this? It's fucking nasty!" I screamed, desperately trying to remove the taste from my mouth. I ran to the cooler and pulled out a bottle of water, gulping half of it in one breath.

Helena shook her head and tried to conceal a laugh. "It was blood."

"So you're telling me I just drank blood?" I screeched at her.

"Yes, and right now, you look like an absolute wild woman. You should look at yourself."

I glared at her, shoving the water bottle back in the cooler. "I didn't have to know that."

"Hey, I'm just being honest."

"No need to be honest with me. You could have told me that the liquid was just expired wine or something. Now that you told me it was blood, I'm disgusted with myself."

"Hey! My policy is that if you're my roommate, I'll be honest with you. And come on, it was just a little blood. You need the practice."

I looked at her, revolted. "How could you say that? I'm still human ya'know."

"Sorry, sorry. It's the honesty thing." She made a puppy dog face at me and I couldn't resist.

I sighed.

"Fine, I'll tell you something, roommate to roommate."

Helena perked up. Her eyes were suddenly alive and dancing with anticipation.

I made sure the silence between us was nice and anxious. It would make what I had to say much more intense.

"Greyson told me that he loved me," I whispered. I blushed and looked down at my clammy palms, wiping them on my jeans.

"What?" Helena gasped.

I looked up, incredulous. "Greyson Breckinridge told me that he loved me."

Helena jumped up from her bed and sat down next to me. "He told you that he _loved you_?" She shouted in my ear.

I winced and backed away from her. "Yeah, is that bad?" I asked. I was nervous to hear her response.

"Of course it's not bad! Greyson has never loved anyone before! Not even Taryn! And they went out for like two years. I thought they were gonna get married or something. Their shit was crazy!" Helena started shouting all at once.

"Helena, stop," I commanded.

"Oh my gosh, you are so damn lucky! He is like the hottest boy in the House of Night and he falls in love with you and you guys have only met for like two days. This is so fucking unbelievable!" Helena continued.

"Stop!" I shouted. She stopped suddenly and cocked her head at me.

"Greyson went out with Taryn?" I asked.

Helena shrugged. "It was no big deal to Greyson, but Taryn kind of took it as a big deal. So their break up was hard on her."

I groaned. "He didn't love her?"

Helena shook her head. "No. He never told any of us that he loved her, so I assume that he didn't. But I can't believe that he told you he loved you! You guys just met…"

"Helena! That's my problem! He told me that he loved me and I said it back! But now I don't know if I can back up my words! I just met him a few days ago and it's all happening really fast. I know that you guys are vampires and you don't sleep and your brains can process so much more, but I think it's a little fast even in your vampire world. And now I don't know what to do because I can't just tell him that I don't love him right after I said that I did! I would come off as a complete and total _bitch_."

"Oh." Helena whispered.

My eyes began to tear up and I blinked rapidly to stop them.

"Helena, I don't know what to do. I totally screwed up! I am such an idiot," I cried.

"Come here," she comforted as she pulled me into a tight hug.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do," I blubbered.

Helena pulled away and held my shoulder firmly with her hands.

"You tell him that you're not ready for that kind of relationship yet," she said matter-of-factly.

"But I like him! I do want to be more than friends; I'm just not ready to love him yet. I was so caught up in the heat of the moment that I just said it. I don't even know if I mean it or not anymore. I feel awful."

Helena nodded. "And what you're saying right now sounds extremely bitchy. But telling him the truth is better than lying. He's gonna find out that something's up and it would be better to tell him sooner than later."

I whimpered. "I'm screwed. I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed!" I pounded my fists into the bed. "What have I done?"

Helena patted my shoulder. "Just tell him. You're in a huge mess right now and the easiest thing to do is to tell him."

"I don't know what's wrong with me these past few days. My mood has been changing so rapidly and I'm so indecisive. I just can't get a grip on what I want and I can't get a grip on reality."

"I know it's been hard on you, finding out about the vampirism shit and such, but it's too late to take it back. You're going to be one of us soon and you just have to accept it. Once you know the secret, you know it for life," Helena responded. "There's no way you can forget. I wish there was something I can say to make you feel safer and more comfortable, but the honest to God truth is that there is nothing. You will never go back to being the normal Marcy again."

"Damn it," I mumbled and got up from my sitting position. My legs were falling asleep.

Helena looked at me with curiosity. "Where are you going?"

I swallowed. "To talk to Greyson. And then maybe kill myself."

Without waiting to hear her response, I walked silently out the door and up the stairs to the boys' floor.

The whole trip up the excruciatingly long set of stairs still didn't give me enough time to calm down. I walked into the boys' floor teary eyed and sniffling. Cody looked up from his PSP and creased his eyebrows.

"What's up, Marcy? You okay?" He asked, setting his gaming system down next to him and walked towards me.

"I'm fine, uh… where's Greyson?" I asked, doing my best to hide the weakness in my voice.

Cody pointed behind him to a pair of oak doors. "He's in his room? Why?"

"I just need to-to talk to him about something…." I murmured.

Cody looked at me skeptically. "Well, okay then. Logan's not in there so you guys can have some peace and quiet."

I plastered the happiest smile I could muster on my face and walked into Greyson's room.

He was sitting on his bed, reading a book. His bronze hair was illuminated by the lamp next to his bed, making him look angelic. I breathed in deeply, clearing my mind, and walked confidently to his bedside, sitting down by his outstretched legs.

He put his book down slowly and looked at me with his beautiful gold eyes that could melt my heart.

"Hey Marcy," he said, flashing me his gorgeous smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Greyson," I responded quietly.

His brows furrowed together. "Is something wrong?" He placed a cool hand on my cheek and I turned away from him. I heard his arm fall back with an empty thud.

"I'm not ready for this," I said as quiet as possible, hoping he wouldn't hear me that well. But of course he had to be a vampire.

"It's okay, there's no need to be scared. I will wait until you're ready to turn into a vampire. There's no rush," Greyson responded, oblivious to the true reason I was in his room.

"No Greyson, it's not that."

He sat up straight. "So then what is it?" There was a hint of impatience in his tone.

"I'm not ready to love you," I whispered with all the strength I could muster.

It took Greyson a few moments to comprehend what I just said. And when he got it, I could see his eyes turn different shades of gold. He balled his hands into fists at his side. He looked as if I slapped him in the face.

"Why?" Was all he said, and it was enough to send me into a crying mess. I was having a total meltdown.

"Because this is all happening way to fast and I can't handle it. I'm just a measly human who can't comprehend half the stuff you vampires do! I'm scared that I'm throwing myself at you too fast and that we're both just going to end up getting hurt," I cried in one breath.

Greyson inhaled. And then he exhaled. "It's my fault. I'm throwing this at you much too quickly. I should have never talked to you in the cemetery."

"No! I want you in my life. I want to be friends, maybe even more, but now is not a good time. I don't think I'm mentally stable enough," I tried to explain.

Greyson turned so that I couldn't see his eyes.

"It's fine," he said in a monotonous tone.

"It's not fine. I feel horrible for getting your hopes up and now I'm tearing them down. I'm so sorry."

Greyson looked at me, his expression unreadable. "It's fine, really. I'm fine."

I touched his arm cautiously. "Do you hate me?"

He smoothed my hair down, a gesture that shocked me. "Of course I don't hate you. I could never bring myself to do that."

I looked up at him. His eyes were staring blankly into somewhere in the distance of his room.

"Will you ever love me again?"

"I will always love you. No matter what, you know that. You're here to simply tell me that you're not ready to give me your all and love me back, and I accept that. I'll just wait for you until you're ready," he smiled weakly to no one in particular.

"Thank you," I breathed. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him close. I felt him breathe out deeply and hug me back. Greyson was taking this really lightly. I just hope that his feelings for me haven't changed. And even though I've told him that I didn't love him yet, I still feel guilty for letting him down. I don't know if he's pretending to forgive me or that he's actually accepting this.

He kissed the top of my head softly and pulled away.

"I have a council meeting to get to," he said as he got off his bed.

"Have fun," I replied.

"Oh I will because you're coming with me," he smirked and walked out of the room.


	6. I'm in Pain but I'm Smiling for You

**Sorry this chapter took so damn long! I was sick with pneumonia for a while and then I had a lot of school work to catch up on. But now that it's the holiday beak, I can update faster. Merry Christmas everybody!**

**- darky **

**Chapter Six: I'm in Pain but I'm Smiling for You **

My eyes were drooping and my head was rolling around back and forth in Greyson's shiny new Lamborghini as we sped along to the Council Headquarters. Lazily doing the calculations in my head, I estimated that I haven't gotten any sleep in the past 24 hours. Also, I haven't showered, eaten or drank anything either. Not counting that blood accident. That doesn't count.

I did change my clothes though. Greyson put me in a clean pair of pants that were unbelievably thin, allowing a lot of brisk fall air to blow onto my legs. He also had me wear a loose tank top with a cardigan over it. Too bad my greasy hair and pale expression made me look like a hobo, no matter what I was wearing.

"Nervous?" Greyson asked from the driver seat. We were speeding at an alarming rate down the pitch black highway.

"Why wouldn't I be? Your headlights aren't even on," I snapped back angrily. I crossed my arms and sank lower into the leather seats which smelled enticingly new.

Greyson chuckled. "Vampire eyesight," he explained. "I can see everything, including the way you're glaring at me right now."

"Well if you haven't eaten or slept in the past 24 hours, you would be angry too," I defended.

"No need. Vampire, remember?"

"Shut up. No one cares that you're this unimaginably mythical creature who doesn't need to eat, drink or sleep but still have amazing strength, speed, brains and beauty."

"So you think I'm beautiful?" He asked.

"What? NO! I don't think you're beautiful…unless you take that as a good thing… then I guess I do think you're beautiful…"

"Stop, Marcy! I was just kidding! Don't hurt yourself."

"Whatever," I mumbled and looked out the window. We were zooming past what looked like a bunch of trees but I couldn't really tell from the dim moonlight. I was growing drowsier and drowsier by the second.

"Marcy, are you okay?" Greyson asked suddenly, pulling me out of my slumber. I snapped my eyes open and yawned.

"I'm fine," I sighed. The blanket of sleepiness was pulling me back under. If I could just last this car ride and the meeting, I could sleep on the way back.

"You look like you need some rest," Greyson obviously noted.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm just resting my eyelids."

Greyson was silent.

"It was supposed to be a joke," I said, sensing his awkwardness.

"Oh. Haha," Greyson tried to laugh. I smiled and shook my head, looking back out the window. "Well, we're almost there," he said.

"Great."

"You don't seem very excited."

"I'm jumping for joy…on the inside."

Greyson chuckled. "Sure."

We were silent for a while. It was a good silence and a necessary one. Both of us needed to think about _everything_. I needed to think about my relationship with Greyson, Helena, and everyone else in the house. I needed to think about my father, the king of all vampires, and how I was going to become one of _them_ soon. The thought of that brought chills to my spine. I wanted to turn into a vampire and quick, but I was also scared. I didn't know what it was going to be like and how it was going to feel. I don't know if I'll miss being human with the crying, blushing, laughing, smiling and all the other human things. I don't know if I'll like drinking blood even though it's essential in my life.

Greyson needed to think about me. Not in the selfish way, but what he wanted to do with me. How he wanted us to be together. I have no problem dating him and being his girlfriend, but I don't know if that's what he wants. I don't know if that's the way of life for him. I have no problem learning to love him and I have no problem being with him forever. But is he ready to wait?

"Marcy, can I ask you something?" Greyson asked timidly.

"Uh, sure," I responded, completely lost at what he was trying to get at.

He cleared his throat. "This is a little…awkward…but what happened to your dad?"

I looked at him, my mouth open. "You don't know? I thought you would…"

He shook his head.

"Well, he died when I was nine in a car accident," I choked out.

"Did he look different, you know, before he died? Did he look a little bit inhuman? Did he look more like a vampire?"

"Jeez Greyson, I really don't know. I guess he was a little pale but at that time, he was rarely home anymore."

"Maybe because he was here all the time," Greyson suggested.

"Well I don't know! Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. Two days ago, I didn't even know that vampires existed so asking me this question is kind of weird now that I know what happened to my dad."

"Do you really?" Greyson asked.

I clenched my fists. "I do. My dad faked his death so he could be a full time vampire and not worry about the rest of his family."

"Wow, you're smart."

I sighed. "More like I'm not stupid," I retorted sarcastically.

Suddenly, the car came into a stop. I looked outside into the pitch blackness and saw nothing. I could barely make out the large building that was looming in front of me when I got out of the car. Greyson had to tug me along by the sleeve of my cardigan so that I could make it inside without hurting myself, or anything else for that matter.

We walked to the front of the looming building, or castle from what I could see, and Greyson paused at the guarded door.

"Name?" The guard asked but it sounded more like a command.

"Greyson Breckinridge and Marcy Carlucci," Greyson responded, fussing with the collar of his shirt. Suddenly, he pulled out a silver necklace with a crescent moon pendant that shimmered beautifully in the moonlight.

The guard nodded and opened the heavy doors for us.

Once I stepped in, I was in awe. There was a massive crystal chandelier that washed everything in a golden glow. There was a beautiful set of staircases in the foyer covered in blood red, velvet carpeting. The walls were decorated with various photos of beautiful men and women, all unbelievably pale and lithe.

Greyson led me down a long hallway once I was done admiring the castle. The walls of the hall were also covered with photos of prestigious vampires. They were so beautiful they looked lifelike. I avoided making eye-contact with them, even though they were paintings, for I was scared one of them could pounce out of the frame and attack me.

At the end of the hall was a thick wooden double door. Greyson knocked three times and waited for the door to open.

When it finally did, I was almost passed out on Greyson's shoulder.

He shook me gently. "It's time," he announced.

We walked in slowly and politely. It gave me some time to take in my surroundings.

In the middle of the room was a long table that filled up the whole room. Above the table was another crystal chandelier. There were floor-to-ceiling windows but they were covered with heavy velvet drapery. At the head of the table sat a very familiar looking man. My dad. His kind brown eyes were gone, replaced with icy black ones. His facial features were more prominent, stronger and angular. His lips were pulled into a thin line and the smile lines were no where to be found. The bronze hair that I grew to love was styled messily and carelessly. And to top it all off, he was extremely pale.

I didn't know whether to smile, cry or scream. I just stared at the thing who used to be my dad, hoping that he would some how pull off his mask and come hug me. Too bad that never happened.

Sitting to his right was a tall woman with thick, curly brown hair. She looked like a goddess. Her pale skin was pearly and luminescent. Her hair was shiny and long. Her eyes were big, round and a deep shade of chocolate. Her mouth was pulled into a tiny frown as she sized me up. I flushed slightly.

Across the woman sat yet another woman. Her hair was the color of night, a unique contrast to her alabaster skin. She smiled at me.

Next to the woman sat a man with piercing blue eyes, short blonde hair and broad shoulders. He nodded when I looked his way.

Across the man sat a woman with beautiful grey eyes and wispy, short, curled brown hair. She looked very young to be surrounded by a room full of mature vampires, but I knew better than to question.

"Welcome, Marcella," the woman to the right of my dad spoke. Her voice was silky and light, like a wind chime. "My name is Queen Celeste. I am the queen of all the vampires out there," she said. Then she pointed in front of her to the woman across from her. "This is Raine Fairnes. She is in charge of the Elites."

I nodded slowly. "Hi."

Queen Celeste shot me a funny look, but continued introducing everyone. She pointed at the man next to Raine. "This is Sir Adomis, second in command to your father. If your father were to get hurt, Sir Adomis would take over until the heir to the throne was old enough."

I smiled at Sir Adomis. He quickly smiled back and looked away from me.

Pointing at the lady across from Sir Adomis and next to herself, Queen Celeste spoke, "This is Lady Josefina, mate to Sir Adomis and the best strategist you will ever meet."

I smiled again, and Lady Josefina smiled back.

And then came the person I least wanted to meet. Greyson sensed my discomfort and held my hand tightly.

"This is King Archon," Queen Celeste said with a swell of love. I wrinkled my eyebrows but continued to listen. "He is my mate and the bravest, smartest and strongest vampire I know. He is the reason we are still at peace with the Rogues and he is the reason we will find a way to bring the Rogues back to us."

When Queen Celeste told me she was my father's mate, I immediately tensed.

My dad stood up slowly, averting his gaze from mine.

I cleared my throat. "Hi, _daddy_," I sneered in Queen Celeste's direction. Everyone in the room collectively gasped. But it was Queen Celeste's reaction that I enjoyed the most. The look on her face when she registered what I just said was priceless. I must say, she almost had a royal meltdown.

"She…what…daddy…ARCHON!" Queen Celeste stammered.

King Archon nodded solemnly. "This is my daughter, Celeste. She is the heir to the throne."

Queen Celeste jumped up from her seat, looking very unladylike. "This is outrageous! Outrageous I tell you! You never told me you had a child! She can't be the heir to the throne, she can't be. What about…"

"What about what? There is no one else that can be the heir. She is my direct descendant and therefore, by law, she will take over once I retire."

Queen Celeste gasped in shock. "She's going to take over? She's not even a _vampire_ yet," she cried hysterically.

"Calm yourself," King Archon warned. Queen Celeste sighed heavily and sat down. She crossed her arms and glared at me like the mature adult she is.

I turned to Greyson with a pleading look in my eye. He patted my hand gently, silently telling me that everything was going to be okay. I nodded and turned back to face the Council.

"How are you, Marcella?" My dad, King Archon, asked.

"Just peachy," I responded. I heard Greyson intake a sudden, sharp breath. I must have said something out of turn. Oh well.

"Marcella, you may not speak to me like that," my dad reprimanded.

"Why not? You're my dad. We're family and family can talk to each other however they want," I replied, holding his gaze confidently.

"Family is family, but they still need to respect each other."

I laughed unexpectedly. "Did you respect me and mom when you hid your vampire secret from us, _pretended_ to die, and then took a spoiled little bitch as your wife?"

"MARCELLA CARLUCCI, _that is enough," _King Archon shouted. "You will not speak to me like that."

I gasped. I was so not used to my dad talking to me like that. I lowered my head so that I was staring at the expensively carpeted floor.

"Marcella," my dad said softly. He must have noticed my sudden withdrawal. I stayed looking to the floor.

"Marcy, I'm still the same dad you used to love," my dad said.

I started crying a little, remembering all the good times I had with him when I was younger.

"Dad, mom died. Did you know?" I asked him but it looked like I was asking the floor.

There was a short silence.

"Yes, I know."

"Did you know that I was so lonely after she died? I was all alone."

"Yes, I know."

"Why didn't you come and save me? Why didn't you tell me you were still technically alive?"

"I sent Greyson to tell you."

"He did one hell of a job."

Greyson punched my gently.

"I realize."

I sighed. "Dad, why do I have to be a vampire too?"

"Because, sweetie, you have the potential to stop the rogues. You will have powers because I am your father and you will be strong."

I cleared my throat. "So when do you… want me to… change?"

My dad chuckled a little and so did everyone else. "I have already planned everything out for you. When you change into a vampire, we will train you, teach you and show you everything you need to know. Of course you will need a mate and we have already chosen him for you…"

Please let my mate be Greyson. Please let my mate be Greyson.

"…Your mate will be Logan, but we will discuss that later. And I think it would be appropriate if you changed sometime next month so that you have time to get used to this place. It's quite marvelous once you actually look at it."

My mind whirred. Greyson tensed.

"Wait wait wait! You want me to be Logan's mate?" I asked, now staring my dad straight in the eyes.

"Why of course! It only makes sense. He is the strongest vampire in the house. You guys will be unstoppable."

I rubbed my hands on my pants, desperate for a way to release my anger. I frowned at my dad.

"I don't like Logan," I said simply.

My dad smiled sadly at me. "Well you'll have to learn to like him."

He looked around the room, giving everyone a once over. Then, he smiled to himself and stood up. "Meeting adjourned," he said.

"Wait! I don't want to mate with Logan!"

My dad's expression immediately hardened. "Then who would you like to 'go out with'?"

I hesitated. Then blushed. "Well, Greyson seems like a nice person. He's very strong, smart and very attractive."

My dad snorted rudely. "No," he said.

"But…"

"No. And that's final. You are to stay away from Greyson Breckinridge at all times. You do not want anything to do with him!" My dad shouted.

I nodded.

"Good. I love you, Marcy," my dad said.

I didn't say it back.

Greyson and I watched slowly as every council member left the room, leaving a heavy silence. I started to cry softly and Greyson wrapped his arms around me, only making me cry harder.

"I know, Marcy. It's not very fair at all. But don't worry; things will turn for the better soon. Let's get you home, in bed and we can talk about it later." Greyson tried to soothe me.

"I. Want. To. Be. With. You." I sobbed.

He patted me on the back, but didn't say anything.

We drove home in silence, neither of us looking forward to what was going to happen next.


	7. I Do Not Want to Be Afraid

**Chapter Seven: I Do Not Want to Be Afraid**

After that terrible meeting, my heart was completely and absolutely _terrified. _I had no idea what to do. I couldn't listen to my heart; it won't even cooperate with the rest of my body. My mind was screaming all these jumbled things at me. None of it made sense. None of it was fair. None of this actually exists, this is all a dream.

I have to keep telling myself that, but the steady breathing of the vampire next to me keeps pulling me back to reality. _This is actually happening to me. _

"What are we going to do?" I asked Greyson tentatively, unsure of how he was taking this.

He was silent for a moment. I noticed that his grip on the steering wheel tightened and his knuckles turned white. I was scared that he was going to rip it right out, but it held steady.

"I don't know, Marcy. Why are you asking me this?" He said finally.

I was lost for words. "I don't… I don't know… I thought maybe you could explain what's going on to me…"

"I know as much as you do," he snapped.

I cowered lower into the leather seats and remained silent. I don't deserve to be treated like this. As if I wanted to 'mate' with Logan. And why did they have to use the word mate? It's so serious and disturbing. It's not like I'm going to produce offspring with him.

"I'm sorry," Greyson quietly whispered. I looked at him apprehensively but didn't say anything. He was staring intently at the road before us.

We screeched to a stop and in a flash, Greyson had me out of the door and in his arms. He carried me away from the car and into the forest with inhuman speed.

Once we got back to the Elites' building, Greyson set me down and I immediately ran upstairs, stripped off my clothing and crept into bed with only my underclothes on. I closed my eyes and the events of the past few days flooded my mind. I was so confused. I didn't know how to control myself; I wanted everything but I also wanted nothing. I wanted Greyson to love me; I wanted to help their cause. But I don't want to be a part of this vampire world anymore. I just want my life to go back to normal. Likely that's ever going to happen.

I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take over me. But I knew that dreams didn't await me; nightmares were going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

"_Do you really love me, or are you just lying?" Greyson asked me. We were sitting in a green meadow. The warm breeze was gently caressing the back of my neck as Greyson absentmindedly played with my hair. _

_ "Greyson, why would you ask me something like that?" I asked with a laugh in my voice. The feeling of his gentle hands in my hair made me grow more and more content by the second. _

_ "I don't know. I just had this feeling that you're hiding something from me," Greyson said as his hands stopped braiding a random piece of my hair. I turned around to look into his eyes. _

_ "Silly boy," I smiled. "I love you with all my heart." _

_ He frowned back and stood up. "Liar," he accused. _

_ The smile faded from my face. "Don't be stubborn, Greyson. I really really do love you." I reached my hand out to him but he turned away. _

_ "Then why did you take it back?" He asked me. His voice was distant. _

_ I looked at him with furrowed brows. "You aren't making any sense. What did I take back?" _

_ He laughed. "You took your love back." _

_ I couldn't speak. My throat was suddenly closed. He smiled sadly, shook his head and disappeared into the forest. I tried to scream after Greyson but I couldn't find my voice. I clawed at the air, desperate for something I could touch, I could feel, but I was falling. _

_ And then I landed in my old house. My dad was sitting in his usually reading chair, glasses perched on his nose. He looked up from his newspaper at me, a smile in his eyes. He was all human. _

_ "You have finally decided to visit, Marcy? I have missed you quite a lot," my dad said. _

_ I sighed, exhaling out all of my tension. "You have no idea what I've been through, dad," I replied. _

_ He said nothing. He simply folded up his paper neatly, set it on the table, took off his glasses and then stared at me. _

_ "Dad? Are you listening?" _

_ He nodded and walked over to where I was standing, placing a hand on top of my head. "I know what you've been through." _

_ I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. _

_ "You're going to be a vampire soon; they're changing you so you can protect something." _

_ "Uh…" _

_ "There's no need to lie, Marcy. I know it all. I know about the Elixir. I know about Greyson. I know about it all." His eyes were glossy and unfocused. _

_ I smacked the side of his arm. "You okay, dad?" _

_ He nodded. "Did you know that Elixir is more powerful than you thought it was?" _

_ That caught my attention. "What do you mean?" _

_ "You see," my dad said, going into one of his educational phases. "Elixir will be able to bring humans back from the dead. Then they will be vampires." _

_ "How do you know this dad?" _

_ "I'm not done yet," he snapped. "Once the dead are vampires, they won't have the heightened senses like normal vampires would. Their senses will only be a little better than humans. It is because the blood that runs through their bodies isn't fresh. It's not pure…" _

_ "You okay?" I asked hesitantly_

"_Fine, fine. Just fine," my dad said. "Let's go for a walk." _

_Suddenly, we were outside. The houses were flying by us quickly, but I could recognize each one. I saw the house of my dead grandparents, my friends that I didn't talk to anymore, and the rest of my relatives that were either dead or had cut themselves off from out family. Yet inside the houses, there was laughter, talking, voices and lights. Smoke was coming out of the chimneys. _

"_Why are you showing these houses to me? Everyone is dead." I said._

"_No they're not, Marcy. Look, the houses are being used," was all my dad said. _

_I groaned in frustration. "I can see that, but how are these people alive…?" _

"_Because, silly girl, they are the ones you need to protect. They are the ones you love, so you must protect them." _

"_How can I protect them if they're not alive?" _

_My dad shrugged. He then took my hand and suddenly, we were back home._

_ He sighed and looked out the window. The sun was completely covered up. Not a spot of sunshine sneaked out. The clouds were dark, big and grey. I narrowed my eyes, sensing something. _

_ "You know, Marcy, I think it's time to leave," my dad said, returning to his reading chair, putting his glasses back on and picking his newspaper up. _

_ I frowned. "Why? I thought you missed me…" _

_ "I did," he said without looking up from his paper. "But I noticed, everywhere you go, darkness follows. You are not welcome in this house anymore." _

_ And with that, I was sent stumbling out the door and into the darkness where the storm was just about to begin._

I awoke with a start. I was panting. I shot up and looked to my side to see that Helena was sitting up, staring at me. Her blonde hair was up in a messy bun and she was wearing sweat pants and a Duke sweatshirt.

"What happened?" she asked. Her voice was fearful.

I shook my head to wake up some more. "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

She walked over to my bed and sat down by my feet. "Bad dream?" She asked with understanding.

I nodded. She handed me a cold glass of water which I took gratefully. I drank in gulps, letting the cool liquid slide down my throat and soothe my burning insides. I felt like I was on fire.

"Want to talk about it?" Helena suggested, taking the now empty glass and setting in on the night table.

I sighed. "It was really messed up," I said.

She looked at me with her understanding eyes. "You're going to tell me anyway. I can sense it."

I smiled at her. "Well, I was in some sort of dream world. At first, I was in this meadow with Greyson and it was almost as if he was forcing me to confess that I didn't love him. Then I fell back into my old house, the one I lived in when my parents were still alive," I began. "My dad was there, except he was still human. He explained to me about the Elixir and he told me that it could raise humans from the dead and turn them into vampires. I don't really get that…"

Helena widened her eyes. "Marcy, how could your dream have possibly told you that?"

"I don't know," I said while shaking my head. "I really can't explain all of this…"

"Marcy, Elixir is made with vampire venom, one of the most power substances in the world. The affects it has on humans is absolutely unpredictable. It could possibly raise them from the dead and turn them into vampires but they would have to be…"

"Dead vampires," I finished for her.

She nodded solemnly.

"My dream dad explained it all to me. And suddenly, we were visiting all of the houses of the people I ever loved. But in reality, I knew they were all dead, yet in my dream, they were all alive. My dad told me that these were the people I needed to protect."

Helena furrowed her perfect eyebrows together. "So he was basically telling you to protect your dead relatives?"

I nodded, not able to find a better explanation. "It was so bizarre. And the weirdest thing was that when I dreamed about Greyson, it seemed so real. It was like he was actually in my dream."

Helena nodded, but something was off. I could see it in here eyes. She smiled stiffly at me and looked at the clock. "You've been asleep for a while now. I think you got home at around three in the morning and now its noon. You should shower, change and then come downstairs for lunch. You look like you need a good meal."

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks," I said.

She smiled back, hopped out of bed and sped out the door. I looked after her in confusion, but shrugged it off. A shower would be nice.

-x-

After furiously washing my hair twice with fresh scented shampoo, brushing my teeth, taming my curly hair and reapplying my makeup, I finally felt clean enough to go on with the day normally. I opened my already filled closet and pulled on a pair of fitted jeans and a sweatshirt.

All the while, I was thinking about the events of last night. King Archon, also known as my dad, had told me to stay away from Greyson and mate with Logan. Too bad Logan was a douche. I hated him already and I've been at this house no more than three days.

The thought of him brought anger into my mind. I was going to go downstairs and confront him.

I stomped down the stairs and into the lounge where Cody, Lucy and Taryn were casually chatting it away with glasses of red wine perched precariously on their legs. I cast a glance at them and met Cody's eyes. Plastering a fake smile, I continued to walk by them.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Taryn's snobby voice stopped me in my tracks.

I glared at her. "Leave me alone," I warned.

Lucy looked up to Cody for some back up. He sighed. "Look, Taryn, Marcy has had a hard past couple of days. Could you just lay off her for a while?"

"How did you know…?" I questioned.

Cody tapped his head gently and mouthed the words 'mind-reader' to me. I immediately understood and a wave of embarrassment washed over me. "Sorry, I forgot," I whispered.

He smiled at me and turned back to Lucy who didn't look at him until she gave me a friendly, but sad gaze. Taryn was absolutely fuming, but at least she was silent.

"See you later, guys," I said before hurrying off again.

I was just about to pass the kitchen when Helena stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked in a playful tone.

"Going to find Logan. We need to talk."

She tsked disapprovingly. "You need to eat first," she handed me a small plate with eggs and toast. I looked longingly at it, but Logan was far more important. I tried to dodge her and swerve to her right. She anticipated it and blocked me. I tried to swerve to the left. Blocked again.

"Are you going to eat or not," Helena asked angrily, setting the plate down with a clatter.

I looked at her pleadingly. "Just _please _let me talk to Logan first. Where is he?"

She let out a drawn out breath. "Upstairs in his room. I'll get him."

"Get who?" Logan's voice was suddenly very close to my ear. I felt him behind me, whirled around and glared at him.

"Woah, someone woke up on the wrong side of bed today," he said, holding his hands up in front of him in surrender.

I had to admit, he did look good. His dark hair was tousled nicely. He was wearing a black t-shirt and some dark jeans. And he looked like he hadn't shaved this morning, but it suited him. He also smelled like cinnamon.

"You. Leave. Me. Alone," I spat at him.

He looked desperately at Helena. "Is there something I'm missing?"

She shrugged and walked away, probably sensing that this was going to get ugly real soon.

"We need to talk," I said angrily.

He smirked. "About…?"

I smacked his arm. It probably hurt me more that it hurt him. "Just listen to me you son of a bitch, we need to talk and we need to do it now."

Logan stared at me quizzically.

"Let's take this some where else," Logan said, glancing at Taryn, Cody and Lucy. I nodded and followed him. Finally something we could agree on.

He led me to the library, and I was getting ready to settle in one of the leather chairs, he pulled a book out of the shelf and the shelf swung open. I gasped.

"Shut up and get in here," Logan said as he ushered me into the secret hallway.

The shelf closed after Logan entered. I was enveloped in darkness and was suddenly overcome by fear. And the strong smell of wet mold.

"Where the fuck are we?" I screamed quietly.

"Just follow my voice," Logan said, suddenly ahead of me.

I took an unsteady step forward. "Is there going to be some kind of drop or something? Because if I die, I swear to god Greyson will kill you," I shouted.

"Calm down, Marcy. Nothing is going to happen. Just keep walking."

We walked for about two minutes before we entered a small, square room. Most of the room was taken up by a gigantic fridge. Then a small couch, a coffee table and a TV were squeezed in.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Logan opened the fridge and brought out two beers. Skillfully, he placed the tops of the beer on the coffee table and snapped off the caps. He offered me one and I took it unenthusiastically.

"We are in a place I like to call heaven," Logan said after taking a huge gulp of beer.

I looked around the dingy space. "I see where it gets its name. This place is so damn heavenly," I remarked sarcastically.

Logan laughed. "No, this place is heaven because no one but me, Greyson and Cody knew about it. Now you do too. It's our little bachelor pad if you will. Somewhere to go to if we want to avoid the ladies for a while, get them off out backs."

He plopped down comfortably on the small couch, taking up more than half of the space, and patted the empty area next to him. "Take a seat and let's get this damn talk over with."

I sat down on the edge, as far away from him as possible.

"First I need to ask you something," I said. I watched as he took a sip of his beer. "How can you vampires drink?"

He put down his bottle and looked at me with a patronizing gaze. "Drinking alcohol curbs our cravings. We absorb the alcohol into our blood, our venom is tricked into thinking it is blood and we end up with a more muted craving. It's really simple, actually." He shrugged and took a swig out of his bottle again, taking his time.

"…And do you guys eat human food?" I asked.

"Sometimes, but it just sits in our stomach. We kind of puke it out a while later. Our stomachs can't really handle the chemicals and products in human food so after we eat it, usually to seem human, and the food comes back up."

I stuck my tongue out. "That's nasty."

Logan looked serious. "But it's necessary. So what did you want to talk to me about? You didn't come all the way here with me just to talk about vampire eating habits, did you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I went to a Council meeting yesterday," I started.

Then I paused for a really long time. Logan stared at me, anxious to hear what I was going to say, but I couldn't really get it out of my mouth.

"And what? Don't leave me hanging, damn it!" He yelled, his mouth full of alcohol. If it weren't for his devilish good looks, I bet no girl would like him. He was an absolutely filthy pig.

I swallowed. "And my dad, King Archon, told me that I needed to be mates with you."

Logan disgustingly spewed out his beer. "He said what?"

"He said that I needed to _be mates with you. _Stop making me say it so much, it's painful to think about," I snarled.

He shook his head. "Okay, so let me get this straight. Daddy Archon wants his precious little baby to mate with me?"

I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "When you put it that way, it sounds ten thousand times worse."

"No, honey, it sounds bad in every which way."

I sighed. "So what are we going to do?"

I took a drink of beer and allowed the bitter alcohol to slide down my throat, leaving a burning sensation afterwards.

"I think we have to…you know…pretend to love each other. The Council is watching our every move, I mean; we are their most prized possessions."

I grimaced. "That's fucked up. I'd rather die."

"Honestly, so would I. But pretending to be in love would be much better that getting executed by one of the Council members; especially if it were my dad."

I nodded in agreement. Something else we can agree on.

"It's going to be so hard to show affection for you," I commented.

Logan looked shocked. "Me? Look at me; I'm the hottest vamp alive. You know you want me." He licked his lips.

I covered my eyes. "You sick, sick pervert."

I felt the couch shift as he scooted closer to me. I tried to shrink away, but I was wedged between the edge of the couch and his body, leaving me with no way of escaping.

"Don't deny that you have feelings for me," he whispered in my ear. I could still smell his cinnamon scent, but it was mixed with the strong beer he was inhaling.

I placed my hand on his face and pushed. Hard.

"Get away from me," I groaned.

Suddenly, Logan's weight was off me. I looked up at him with flaming cheeks to see that he was doubled over laughing.

"You. Are. So. Fucking. Stupid," he chocked out between his laughs.

I crossed my arms. "I can't believe I have to like you."

Logan stopped laughing and waggled a finger at me. "No, you have to love me."

I sighed.

"Speaking of fake love, how is Greyson doing?"

Logan looked taken aback, but recovered quickly. "I guess he's fine, doesn't really talk about the subject though. He's a conservative guy."

I nodded. "Do you know if he's okay?"

He shrugged. "He seems fine, but you never know what's going on with that kid."

I smiled a little. "You know, I've never seen this side of you before."

"You've known me for two days."

"But still," I said. "You just seemed like you would be a douche all the time. I would have never imagined you would actually care for someone."

"I have my moments," Logan responded. I could almost see the smugness radiating off his body in waves.

We talked for a few more hours. It seemed like a long time, but it passed quickly. When we walked out of the tunnel, I felt as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

"You know, that wasn't all that bad," I said as I watched Logan shut the shelf door.

"It wasn't," he replied.

"So, um, what are we going to do now?"

He smiled and there was a devilish look in his eyes. "We could… get to know each other," he suggested.

I gasped at his frankness. "I don't think that would be a good idea… Greyson wouldn't be…"

Logan scoffed. "Why the hell do you always worry about what mother fucking Greyson thinks? You told him you didn't love him, remember?"

I nodded, scared by Logan's sudden outburst.

"Then why are you so scared? You're free to do whatever the fuck you want! So why do you keep going back to Greyson? Just take a goddamn leap of faith already," he yelled.

I cringed back in fear.

Suddenly, Greyson walked by the library. "What's going on here? I heard yelling?" His eyes were worried and searching. His smooth and strong voice nearly melted me. I blushed, glancing at Logan. His expression was unreadable.

And then, Logan stepped towards me in one glide, placing his strong hands on my cheeks. Greyson gasped, I almost blacked out from the shock.

Soon, Logan's lips were on mine. I held still. His lips were rough and unfamiliar and the taste of the strong cinnamon was almost unbearable. His hands were tangled in my hair. I didn't move a muscle. My hands were balled into fists, pressed into my sides. I didn't feel anything for Logan. It was as if I was kissing a tree, weird and completely awful.

When Logan finally pulled away, hot tears were streaming down my eyes. There was a smirk on his face. I fearfully turned to Greyson to see that his expression was horrified.

Then, Greyson composed himself, setting his face into a hard expression. "I think I should get going now," he said coldly, turned on his heel and walked away.

"Wait! Greyson, wait!" I yelled, stumbling after him.

Greyson kept walking, but his steps were faster. I had to run to catch up to him.

When I finally reached him, I grabbed his arm and he whirled around.

He was practically seething.

"Wait, let me explain…" I begged.

He shook his head. "Explain what? How you were trying to put on this huge show about how you're over me and how you like Logan now? Are you going to get cold feet and take back your feelings for him, too?"

I was having another complete meltdown, but I needed to stay strong. I needed to prove to him that I wouldn't cry over the silliest things.

"No. I don't have any feelings for him. He attacked me," I said simply. It's not like there was anything else I wanted to say.

"Marcy, you are so stubborn, throwing yourself at others, hoping they would catch you when you fall. Well it's time to wake up and smell the fucking roses because not everyone can be trusted so quickly…"

Okay, he was seriously pushing my buttons. I was getting more and more pissed by the second.

"Damn it Greyson, you listen to me! I _didn't _throw myself at Logan. He came for me! I didn't even react because kissing him was like kissing a tree. And you don't honestly believe that I would just trust someone so quickly, do you? Because if you do, I was wrong about you," I said, standing up straighter. It felt good to be able to defend myself, but it looked as if my explanation wasn't enough to persuade Greyson.

"Look Marcy, I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to protect you." Greyson's voice was softer now but my anger was just beginning.

"You wanted to protect me?" I screamed, jabbing a finger into his chest. "If you wanted to protect me so damn much, why did you go into my dream last night? I felt you there, dumb ass. If you were going to invade my personal subconscious thoughts, you could have at least tried to make it less obvious!"

Greyson took a few steps back. "I…how…I didn't mean to. I'm sorry; I was just trying to convince you to…"

"To what? Not love you? If you wanted to tell me that, just tell it to my face! Stay out of my dreams!"

"Marcy, I do it without realizing! I am a dream walker; I enter your dreams whenever I think about doing it! And when I realize what I have done, it's always too late to take it back. Being a vampire with powers has its ups and downs, you should understand that," Greyson tried to calm me down.

I shook my head. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not a blood sucker yet."

Without waiting for a response, I turned around and walked out of the door. I wasn't going to wait on anybody. If I wanted to get turned into a vampire, I would do it myself if I had to.

**AN: Just did a word count… 4,418 words. Are you proud of me? Sorry I couldn't update sooner, school kind of sneaked up on me and it is finals next week. I've been cramming like a monster the past few days, so please forgive me. I want to thank everyone for reviewing! I literally can't continue this without your wonderful, helpful and thoughtful reviews. This chapter took a while because I was kind of losing inspiration but halfway through this chapter; I suddenly came up with something. Be ready for the next few chapters that come. They won't disappoint! **


	8. Cut

**Chapter Eight: Cut**

After walking out of the Elites' house, I wandered around in the near by forest. I felt pretty hot from all the anger I've been giving off so I whipped off my sweatshirt, left it on the front porch of the house and walked away with just a t-shirt on.

The hunger that settled in my stomach was instantly replaced by fear. The sky was getting dark, turning an evil shade of purple that I've grown to hate so much. It reminded me of those times when I would wander the streets in the dark, looking for my parents, knowing they were never going to come back. It was unsettling.

The other scary thing was that I had no destination. I didn't know where I wanted to go. I was just walking, taking turns here and there when ever I deemed it appropriate.

I didn't hear anyone coming after me. No footsteps, no breathing, just me and my lonely thoughts. I was hoping Greyson would come after me, but I was so mad at him my hope just disappeared.

I can't believe he thought I was stubborn, throwing my trust around. But I have to admit, he might be right.

When I saw him in the cemetery, I didn't even try to run away. I believed every single word he told me. I believed that he was a vampire. I believed everything the vampires told me. It's sad to admit that he's right and I'm wrong, but what he doesn't know won't kill him.

I always felt that phrase was wrong. I mean, what if someone poisoned my drink and I didn't know, and then I drank it. Wouldn't I die? But if I did know there was poison in my drink, wouldn't I have not drunken it and then stayed alive?

I walked through the cold grass and leaves silently as my inner dialogue carried on. I liked smelling the wintry air, even though the wind was blowing right through my weather inappropriate clothing. I didn't mind, it kind of helped numb the pain. Greyson had really hurt me. I don't take accusations lightly.

Suddenly, I realized I had wandered next to a lake. The sky was now completely black and a million stars decorated the deep canvas. The moon was glowing eerily ahead, turning the lake an unnatural shade of silver. I had never seen a sky this clear before. It was breathtaking.

I let out a sigh and I could see my breath in the chilly air.

Spotting a log lying next to the lake, I walked over to it and sat down. The cold log shocked me through my pants and I let out a little yelp.

Out of nowhere, I heard a deep laughing. I whipped around, my heart beating like a drum. If it were a vampire, I'm screwed. I bet it could hear my heart from miles away.

I desperately pleaded for my heart to be quiet, but for all I know, it could be screaming 'I'm over here!' to the vampire.

Or maybe it was just an ordinary human. I don't really know if I had wandered out of House of Night territory or not. I could have walked for miles without knowing.

But to be cautious, I asked the dark shadows who was there.

There was no answer for a few moments, but then I heard light footsteps crunching the frozen ground.

From the shadows, I saw a dark figure emerge. I couldn't make out who it was, but I noticed that their skin glowed white in the moonlight. It was a vampire. I'm going to die.

My breaths quickened as the figure walked closer to me but I couldn't move. It was as if I was frozen to the log, and honestly, that could have happened.

I just stared stupidly as the figure got closer and closer. How can I just accept death like this?

"Marcella Carlucci," the figure said with a smile. His voice was deep and smooth, more mature than Greyson's but younger than my dad's. I noticed each tooth was glistening white and the fangs were sticking out. I let out a small gasp. He had short cropped dark hair and deep eyes that might have been the color of blood. My human eyesight could only let me see so much.

"Who are you?" I asked shakily. The man was now standing a few inches away from the log, my only protection, as I got up and walked to the other side of it. It was not just me, the log between us, and the stranger on the other side.

"I'm Lucifer. Don't you recognize my name?" The man crooned in a sultry voice.

Lucifer, where have I heard that before? I think Helena or someone might have mentioned it when I first arrived at the House of Night.

"No, I don't know who you are," I replied, taking a step back, resulting in him taking a step closer.

"Now surely your little Greyson must have told you all about me," Lucifer said.

I gasped louder this time. "How do you know about us?"

Lucifer laughed. "I am a vampire. Do not underestimate me. I can snap your thin little neck before you can even say 'help'."

Unconsciously, my hand rose to my neck, trying to hold it together.

I tried to come up with something to defend myself. "You're in House of Night territory. If you don't belong here, you can't be here. Someone will come and execute you."

"Now don't be so sure. You have wandered just outside of the border, where the evil vampires roam," Lucifer laughed. "Your little friends won't be able to protect you when your bloody screams echo in the night."

My hands began to shake as I swallowed nervously.

"They're vampires. They can hear me from miles away," I responded with absolutely no confidence.

"They can't hear you when you're outside of the borders. You must have roamed pretty far because the borders stretch on for miles. You must be lost," Lucifer said, taking another step closer to me.

That was when I decided to do something.

I turned around and ran as fast as I could in the direction I came from. I heard Lucifer let out a loud, evil laugh, but I didn't hear him pursuing me. I didn't even bother to turn around; I just ran.

I ran through the woods and branches scratched small cuts on my face and bare arms. I could barely see anything in front of my, but I kept running. Being blind was better than being dead.

I was running so fast that I ran out of breath just a few minutes away from the lake. It was scary; I didn't realize I was so out of shape. I used to run cross country, play volleyball and tennis but that was before both my parents died. I mean, I have an athletic body, strong arms and legs and a toned stomach but I don't think running is my thing anymore.

I ran until I felt for sure that my lungs were going to burst. But I couldn't stop; my life was on the line. I heard an occasional rustle behind me but other than that, the forest was quiet. Suddenly, I tripped on a log and scraped my arm on a near by branch. I felt my hot blood ooze out slowly from my arm and I cursed silently. Way to be smart, Marcy. There's a vampire on your trail and you just had to cut yourself. I grimaced and looked around frantically for any signs of Lucifer. There was none. Gratefully, I wiped my stinging but on my pants and started to get up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lucifer's cold voice permeated the air. I screamed and tried to find him but his voice was appearing out of thin air.

"Wiping the blood won't do anything, silly Marcy. I can still smell you, and you sure do smell delicious. Now I get why that Greyson boy is so fond of you. Your blood is irresistible," Lucifer sneered.

I was still out of breath from my running. "Shut the fuck up! You don't know anything," I screamed, crouching helplessly closer to the ground, holding my hurt arm.

Lucifer let out a shivering laugh. "I know _everything_, girl. I am more than a century old than you. You have no right to assume anything."

I shivered. The cold air was whipping at my exposed arms and my thinly protected back. "Go ahead, kill me. But you'll regret it," I snarled in my bravest voice.

Lucifer walked closer to me and the air suddenly dropped ten degrees. I was either going to die from murder or hypothermia. Neither solution was better than the other.

"Silly little _bitch_," Lucifer chuckled. "Daddy isn't going to be able to come get you. You're out in the forest, by yourself. And trust me; there are more vampires here than you can see. But I'm lucky. I get to drink from you first."

I looked up into his dark, evil eyes and spat him in the face. He growled and lunged towards me, stopping just a few centimeters from my face. I felt his cool breath on my skin. I screamed loudly, praying that Greyson would come and find me.

"No! Leave me alone!" I shouted.

"We can't let you turn into a vampire. That wouldn't be good for our cause," Lucifer said with a snarl in his voice.

Cause… his cause. Oh my god, he was a rogue. That's why his name sounded so familiar. They've been waiting to kill me the moment my dad turned into a vampire. They're afraid I'll destroy them, so they have to destroy me first.

"You're cause is a pile of shit. Vampires will never be able to rule the world; you leeches can't even walk in the sun."

"Now that's where you're wrong. We Rogues have turned some of the top scientists in the world. Once we get our hands on the Elixir, we can alter it so that every vampire can walk in the sun, not just the ones that have powers."

I growled. "That's never going to happen! My dad will never allow it!"

"Your dad will do anything once his little daughter's in our hands. He'll do absolutely _anything_ to get her back," Lucifer laughed.

I shook my head. "You can't force me to do anything!"

Suddenly, his eyes turned red. So red I could see then in the darkness of the night.

He forcefully grabbed my head, cracking my neck and exposing it. I winced at the pain and all of a sudden I realized he bared his fangs. My eyes grew big and wide. Suddenly, he bit me.

I screamed like there was no tomorrow. The birds flew from the trees and the forest animals ran for their lives.

I felt his sharp teeth tear through my flesh as if it were butter. The contrast between his cold lips and my hot skin was extremely painful. The sound of my bones crunching under his grasp was disgusting. He was going to break me. And the guilt afterward could be shut off like a button and he was just going to continue living like a monster. I was just a rock he needed to kick out of the way.

The blood that was flowing in my body suddenly felt as if it were on fire. I felt if rushing to his mouth as Lucifer greedily gulped it down. His sharp teeth was piercing my skin over and over again, causing me to groan in pain every time they came in contact with me.

Soon, I felt light headed and dizzy. I was blacking out for a few seconds sporadically. My hands and feet went numb and I felt like all the blood was drained from my body.

Lucifer pulled away, satisfied. "That's better," he sighed.

I cried silently, applying pressure to the bite on my neck. The blood was flowing freely. My neck hurt so badly. It's probably broken.

"W-why?" I stuttered hoarsely, unable to produce any humane noise.

He smiled, flashing his blood stained teeth. His fangs were still showing and his mouth was smeared with my blood. I could smell it in the air.

"You were just too good to resist," Lucifer said. "That will teach you not to talk back to me. I am so much smarter and more powerful than you, dumb human."

I cried, the pain in my neck intensifying.

He placed a finger on my chin and lifted my head up so that our eyes were level with each other. My neck ached and groaned in protest.

"You will obey me and only me. Everyone else is your enemy," Lucifer said in a trance-like voice.

A stabbing pain suddenly shot through my brain, immediately forcing me to forget about my neck. It was as if it were trying to work against me. Staring into Lucifer's eyes, I wanted to do everything he was telling me. But I had to fight back, remember what was mine, and remember what was really happening.

I thought about Greyson and about how much I needed him here. I needed him to take me back into safety. I pleaded and begged for someone to come find me and take me away, but as hard as I worked against my brain, Lucifer was winning. I was beginning to forget about everyone except the man that was in front of me, telling me I was his and only his. I only belonged to him. He was the only one for me. Everyone else is bad, everyone else is evil.

_Remember, Marcy_, my inner voice thought, but it was so weak. I just wanted to give in, take the easy way out.

Lucifer was looking so deeply into my eyes I swore I could see into his soul. But it was more likely that he could see into mine instead.

_Greyson, Greyson, Greyson_, I begged one last time before I finally collapsed.

"Marcy? What's going on?" A new voice asked. It wasn't Lucifer… it was someone else. Someone I've been hoping for.

Lucifer inhaled sharply. "How the fuck…"

Suddenly, snarling ripped through the forest and someone was thrown against a tree. I heard the trunk snap and groan in protest.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Greyson growled.

I looked up. Lucifer was crouched at the base of a giant tree, ready to pounce on Greyson.

"You did not just do that to me, you amateur! I am older and therefore I am stronger," Lucifer howled.

"If you are so strong, how did I manage to throw you into a tree?" Greyson taunted, standing protectively in front of me.

Lucifer launched himself at Greyson and they both flew over me. I screamed in utter terror.

"Stop!" I yelled, but my voice was carried away in the growling and snarling and shouting.

Suddenly, I heard a loud crash followed by a horrific scream. I panicked.

"Greyson, oh no! Not Greyson," I cried and ran towards the direction of the crash. My broken neck was suddenly forgotten. I was running so fast I ran straight into a body, which caused me to scream again. But this person wrapped their arms around me and rested their chin on top of my head.

"It is okay, Marcy. I've got you," Greyson comforted. "Shhh, it is okay."

I sobbed into his chest. "What… happened?"

"I've taken care of it. He won't be back for a while," he murmured into my hair.

"It hurts," I whispered weakly.

Greyson pulled back and looked at my neck. Suddenly, his face contorted into such hatred and anger, I have never seen it before.

"That son of a bitch! He did this to you?" He shouted.

I couldn't even nod.

"We have to get you back to the house," he said furiously, scooping me up in his arms. Soon, we were flying through the forest at impossible speed. In no time, we were back at the house.

Right as Greyson and I entered the door, he set me down and murmured something about getting Cody to come take a look. I nodded, unable to comprehend what he said.

My head hurt like hell and my neck felt as if it were ripped from my shoulders and then reattached.

The room started spinning wildly. My legs gave out. Everything went black.

-x-

"Marcy, you awake?"

I opened my eyes groggily. Greyson was standing next to me, frown lines creasing his forehead. I listened carefully. There was rhythmic beeping. Oh shit, I was in the hospital wing again. But this time, there was something itchy and stiff wrapped around my neck. I sat up straighter and felt around the area I was bitten, only to feel a hard, scratchy material.

"What the fuck…" I questioned.

Greyson sighed. "Marcy, you've been out for three days. Lucifer broke your neck." He paused, it looked as if there was something else he wanted to say, but he shook it off and smiled at me. "I'm glad you're finally awake."

"Well, shit, Greyson. Three days is a long time," I smiled. "I see you guys have been feeding me? My stomach isn't empty anymore."

"We only woke you a few times to give you some food. I don't think you remember it though, you were so out of it."

"Food is good. I like food."

He smiled a little wider but it didn't reach his golden eyes. I frowned and motioned for him to come closer.

"What's wrong," I asked, placing a hand on Greyson's cool cheek. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

"There isn't anything wrong," he replied.

I smoothed down his bronze hair. "Tell me. You can tell me anything."

Greyson shook his head. "I don't know if you'll want to hear it…"

I cocked my head to the side and winced in pain. Damn you, broken neck. Greyson noticed immediately.

"You okay?" He asked.

I waved him off. "I'm fine. A broken neck only lets me move my head so far. I'll get over it. So tell me what's gnawing at your insides."

Greyson sighed. "I would, but now is not a good time…"

"Why?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

He smiled. "Because you have company."

Right on cue, Lucy, Helena, Taryn, Cody and Logan walked into my hospital room. Lucy and Helena were carrying a giant vase of flowers. Taryn was holding an overstuffed 'Get Well Soon' teddy bear. She looked like she'd rather be somewhere else. Logan and Cody just stood back, smiling at me. I smiled at everyone, even Taryn, except Logan. When my eyes met his, I frowned and looked away.

"Thanks guys, it's so nice of you to come here!" I laughed. Helena and Lucy giggled, pulling me into a back breaking hug. I groaned and they quickly pulled away.

"Sorry," Lucy smiled. "Got a little carried away."

I shook my head. "It's totally fine."

Helena set the giant vase down on a nearby table. "So how is it that you're not even a vampire yet and you have more enemies than us?" She joked playfully.

"Maybe she's the daughter of the king," Taryn snapped. Everyone eyed her angrily, but I shook it off. Now was not a good time to be angry.

I sighed. "Every damn vampire is after me now that my daddy is their ruler. I find it quite exhilarating, though, being stalked by all these vampires. Maybe one of them will finally turn me."

"You're not ready," Greyson and Logan responded at the same time. They looked at each other awkwardly.

"Oh I think I am," I said, sitting up straighter. "I need to be able to protect myself from what's out there."

Lucy nodded. "It's true. The birds have been talking to me and even they can sense something evil coming. It's not going to be pretty."

Taryn scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please, animal girl, like the birds really know anything."

Lucy glared at Taryn and looked as if she was going to rip her throat out. Taryn looked at Lucy as if she was going to inflict pain on her. Cody pulled Lucy back and soothingly rubbed her arms.

"Calm down, Lucy. Taryn was just kidding, _weren't you, Taryn_?" Cody said.

Taryn flipped her hair like a little bitch. "You bet."

"Guys," I said, holding up my hands. "Now isn't a really good time for fighting. I think it's time to discuss who will be changing me."

Logan and Greyson both stepped forward at the same time. They glared at each other. Logan cleared his throat as he stepped back under Greyson's intimidating stare.

"Of course I will," Greyson responded, still shaken by Logan. I turned to look at Logan, but his eyes were focused intently on something outside the window.

"I think you guys should do it as soon as possible. Marcy is in grave danger and she needs to protect herself," Lucy added, earning approving nods from everyone.

"So, when will be a good time?" Taryn asked with annoyance in her voice.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye and spotted an emotion on her beautiful face… was it jealousy? Was she jealous that Greyson was paying so much attention to me? Well you deserve it, bitch. I smiled to myself.

"Today would be nice, you know, to get it over with. Plus, wouldn't it heal my neck quicker? I really hate this damn brace thing," I chimed in.

Suddenly, Greyson was next to me, his cool hands pushing my messy hair from my face and cupping it gently. "I don't want to force you to do anything," he said, looking at me deeply from behind his dark lashes. I sighed.

"Greyson, it's my choice, you aren't hurting or forcing me to do anything," I said, almost with impatience.

Suddenly, Logan spoke up. "Marcy, being turned into a vampire is a very painful and sometimes extremely lengthy process. It will hurt, a lot. You might want to kill yourself. But once you're a vampire, there is no going back. I would make my decision wisely if I were you."

I gasped at his rudeness. "I'm not here to be your food bank, am I? Greyson didn't find me in the forest just so you guys could kill me and drink my blood, did he? If he wanted me dead, why am I still here? I just want to get this damn thing over with. _The only reason I am here is to get turned into a vampire._ You have no right to tell me what to do. It's my body, I can endure the pain."

Logan shook his head slowly and walked out of the room.

Helena pointed after him. "What's up with that?"

I shook my head, holding my tongue. I didn't really want to talk about it.

Greyson caught on with my sudden tiredness and shooed everybody out. I smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks."

He smiled. "No need, you need your rest and we vampires just don't get enough company. They're a little obsessive over you."

"No really, thanks. Thank you for saving my life."

Greyson's eyes grew serious. "Marcy, what else would I have done? Watched as Lucifer sucked the life out of you?"

I shrugged. "Is feeding supposed to hurt so much?" I moaned as I rubbed my neck through the brace. It still hurt extremely and I winced.

Greyson's eyebrows came together. "I don't think it's supposed to hurt _that_ much. But he did break your neck, too, which probably adds to the pain."

"You say that like you've never fed before."

"No, I say it like I've never been fed on," he chuckled.

I smiled back in response and gazed out the window. The sky was a brilliant blue. I missed it.

"Will the sky look even more beautiful when I'm a vampire?" I asked.

Greyson took a few steps closer to me and took my hand. "Everything looks more beautiful once you're a vampire. But there's a price to pay. You get to be impossibly strong, fast, beautiful and smart when you're a vampire. You can see things miles away and hear things nothing else can hear. But everyday you wake up and you carry the need to feed, the need to kill with you everywhere you go. You can't pass a human without tensing, without wanting to suck the life out of them."

I glanced up at Greyson and back down at our joined hands. "Do you every feel that way? Like a murderer?"

The corners of Greyson's mouth rose slightly. "Marcy, I skipped straight from murderer and went to vampire. I kill because I need to kill, I have to kill. I don't do it just because I want to. It's a whole different thing." He sighed.

I slowly rubbed my thumb back and forth across the back of his cool, smooth hand. "Do you ever feel the need to kill me?" My voice was almost a squeak.

"Marcy, I want to kill you everyday. It takes a lot of patience and control to even be in the same room as you. It's not safe for any human to hang around here."

I pulled my hand away from his. "Then change me."

Greyson stiffened. "You're sure?"

"Yes I am."

"I don't know…"

"Just do it."

"There's no going back."

"I wouldn't even if I could."

Greyson smiled and placed a small kiss on my forehead. His hand found its way back into mine. "Whenever you're ready."

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. "I'm ready."

Greyson nodded seriously. He gently tore the neck brace from my neck, exposing it to the cool air of the room. I gasped in shock as he placed light kissed along my jaw and down my neck, murmuring soothing words the whole time.

I closed my eyes and waited for the pain.

"1…2…3…" Greyson counted. Suddenly, I felt the familiar sensation of sharp teeth cutting into me. But this time, I didn't feel like my blood was being sucked up. It felt like he was injecting something in my body.

Soon, Greyson pulled away. "It's going to hurt a lot."

I smiled weakly, still numb from his bite. "I don't feel anything yet." But I spoke to soon. My veins suddenly began burning and it felt as if my blood was being burned dry. I thrashed around violently, trying to shake the feeling. I couldn't get my scream out fast enough.

My back arched up from the table as the heat intensified.

My eyes turned wildly as I tried to focus on Greyson. His face was tense with pain, his eyes averted from mine. He just stood there, silent as a statue.

But all the while, our hands were still connected.


	9. Breathe Again

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to another amazing author, DearCupcake. Darling, you are awesome! Queen of Dead Hearts, thank you for taking the time to beta! I also want to thank all of my incredible reviewers and readers. You guys are the reason I continue writing this story. Also, I'm sorry for all the spelling and grammatical errors in my previous chapter. This is why I needed a beta.**

**Chapter Nine: Breathe Again**

_All I can grasp is the pain; the burning that coursed through my body, setting fire to all that it touched._

It all hurt so much. My veins felt as if they were scorched dry. My throat felt as if it were burned shut. My arms and legs were numb, as if a thousand tiny little needles were stabbing me unstoppably.

I remember faintly hearing Greyson whisper soothing words in my ear, but they meant nothing and were quickly drowned out by my screams. I didn't want to scream. I didn't want to worry Greyson anymore, but every time I tried to open my mouth to speak, only screams came out.

It was torture. But I know it had to worth it in the end. _It had to be_.

I wanted to give in to the darkness. I really did. I wanted to take the easy way out, give in to the pain. But I kept fighting. I had to. I had to live for Greyson. I had to live for my dad. I had to live for my new friends. We were going to spend eternity together, and nothing is better than eternity.

I kept my eyes closed the whole time, afraid of what I would see if I opened them.

I felt the fire moving through my body, burning everything it touched. Finally, it reached my heart. Suddenly, the pain intensified, and I hadn't thought that was possible. My heart started beating so loud it was like a helicopter blade, chopping away. I screamed, writhed and groaned in pain. My heart felt like it was going to beat through my chest. I arched up towards the ceiling as the beating grew faster still. Suddenly, it stopped. My heart let out one last, empty thud and rested silently. The burning that coursed through my veins turned into soft warmth, flowing through me like a summer breeze.

I felt my muscles tighten and ripple in newfound strength. My limbs felt longer, leaner, more powerful. I felt some fat melt away, instantly replaced with muscle. I was suddenly aware of everything, the rustling of the curtain, the sound of the light hum of the light above me, the gentle chatter downstairs.

I could calculate everything, remember every single math problem I ever did, remember every single look that crossed the faces of people I saw daily, and remember every single word I ever spoke. I could even remember my first ballet recital when I was about four years old. It was amazing.

And I could smell and taste everything. I could smell Greyson in the air. He smelled like mint and sweet cinnamon. I could taste the wintry air, the frozen lake. I could taste the cotton and smell the wood of the flooring. But there was thing faint smell that overpowered everything. It was sweet, spicy and enticing. It made my throat burn and clench with need. I had to have it. I didn't know what it was but I had to have it.

Just like that, my eyes shot open and I stood up. It took about three milliseconds. My new and ever so intelligent brain calculated my timing with exact perfection.

I scanned the room, able to see very crack, every crevice and every color. Suddenly, my eyes rested upon this beautiful being in the corner of the room. His golden eyes weren't gold. They were yellow, bronze, and gold with flecks of hazel. His dark lashes framed his big eyes beautifully. His hair was a million shades of bronze. His skin was the smoothest marble and the whitest stone. His full lips were pulled up in a perfect smile, revealing his faultless teeth. It was as if I was seeing Greyson for the first time; I'd been blind until now.

I gasped, feeling the air whoosh into me. But it didn't feel _necessary. _I didn't need the air, but I liked it. I could taste everything in one little breath.

"How do you feel?" He asked, his voice a mixture of the deepest seas and the highest mountains. A tone not achievable or conceivable to mortal beings. It was beautiful music, meant only for worthy ears able to perceive it's magnificence.

"I feel…" I paused, unable to find a word in my now fairly large vocabulary. I was able to recall every word and their definition I have ever come across. "I feel _extraordinary_."

I was shocked by my own voice. I couldn't recognize it. It was the soft tinkling of wind chimes, the melodies of a harp played by an angel. It was so soft and musical . . . It seemed to dance through the air like a graceful butterfly.

Smiling, Greyson closed the distance between us in one-tenth of a second. And he didn't look like a blur. My eyes matched his movements perfectly. "You _look_ extraordinary," he murmured, his hands on both sides of my face. They didn't feel cold like they used to. They felt like the perfect temperature. And they were so smooth and soft; I leaned into them and sighed, inhaling his scent.

"You're lying," I joked.

He laughed beautifully. "Your eyes are the color of the ocean when the sun is highest in the sky. They sparkle when you smile. Your hair is like strands of gold, waving down your back. And your skin is so soft, so smooth and oh so pale. You're beautiful, Marcy."

I laughed, waiting for my blush. But it never came. Greyson walked by and touched my cheek gently with the back of his fingers. "You'll never blush again. Are you sure you made the right decision?"

"Greyson, I know I have. Plus, I don't really miss blushing. Now my face can't give me away when I'm lying…or embarrassed…"

I smiled at him. Suddenly, a breeze blew through the window, carrying every scent within a two mile radius up my nose. I grimaced at some of the unpleasant smells, but then, I smelled it again, that warm, enticing smell. It was calling out to me. It burned the back of my throat, and I growled. I was so blinded by the scent; I couldn't even feel shocked that I growled. I was acting completely on instinct now.

"_What is that smell_," I spat, my mood changing in a flash.

Greyson whipped around and ran to the door, blocking it. "Shit, I forgot… you're smelling blood."

"Why does it smell so good?"

"You're a vampire…you need blood to live."

I closed the distance between us in a millisecond. "Get out of my way!" I screamed.

Without blinking, I placed my hand firmly on Greyson's chest and shoved a little. My push sent him flying into the hallway, denting the wall he flew into. It gave me a smug sense of pride to be capable of defeating a male. But he recovered quickly, getting up in a rapid motion and coming to stand in front of me again.

"Marcy," he snarled. "I need you to get a grip."

I glared at him. "How can I get a grip when I just got turned into a vampire and have no idea how to control my thirst for blood. _Now get out of my way before I really hurt you_."

I shouldered him, sending him stumbling back. And like that, I took off.

My legs carried me faster than I ever had imagined. And everything around me wasn't a blur; I could see every detail of everything that flew past me. I would've laugh with excitement, but my throat was burning with bloodlust, making even the thought of laughter painful.

In a matter of seconds, I was out of the hospital wing and standing in the middle of the House of Night grounds. I sniffed the air once, smelling the sweet smell again. My throat instantly lit aflame.

Using my instincts, I let my legs and sense of smell carry me to the direction of the blood.

When I decided to check where I was going, I realized I had busted the door open to the Elites' house and now it was thrown halfway into the house. But I didn't care, _I needed blood_.

Logan appeared out of nowhere. "Marcy! What the fuck did you do to the door?" He screamed. I cast one glance at him and noticed there was a giant scar on his bicep that I had never seen with my human eyes before. I made a note to ask him about it later, but right now I had other things on my mind.

"Where's the damn blood," I rasped, my throat dry and itching for the only liquid that could soothe it.

Logan's eyes suddenly grew big. "Calm down, Marcy. Take some deep breathes and we'll get you some blood."

"Why the fuck does everyone keep telling me to calm down! I want the blood and I want it now! I don't how you guys stand this…this _burning._"

I sped through the house like a tornado, causing destruction to anything and everything in my path.

Once I reached the refrigerator, the scent of the blood was so overpowering I was nearly crying with desperation. I almost tore the whole refrigerator door off with need.

Taking a once over of the contents in the fridge, I noticed there was a little shelf of human food and the rest were stocked with bags of blood.

I howled in pain as my throat clenched and blazed with thirst. I grabbed the nearest blood bag, unsheathed my fangs and tore into it. I didn't even know I had fangs until now.

After about two minutes, I was done with my first blood bag and already starting on my second one. The burning in my throat was gone and all I could taste was the sweet, delicious blood. It felt so good.

Greyson and Cody sped into the kitchen just as I finished my second bag.

"You grab her right arm, I'll take the left," Greyson said.

They came after me, holding me still. I fought back, but two vampires were stronger than one.

I finally gave up, the burning taking place once again in my throat. I groaned in anxiety. "I need…"

"Greyson, she needs blood," Cody said, reading my mind. "No, that will kill her! She can't starve, she's a newborn and she needs to know what it feels like," Cody shouted, answering Greyson's silent question.

Greyson hesitated. I took that time as an opening and I wrestled out of their grasp, crouched on the floor and snarled.

"Give me the damn blood," I growled.

"No!" Greyson yelled back, promptly shutting the refrigerator.

I straightened. "Why? I _need_ it."

"You need to control yourself first…"

"Fuck you! Fuck this control thing! I'm thirsty! I'm going to get what I want and you can't stop me!"

I breathed in deep breaths, anger clouding my vision.

Greyson walked forward and slid a hand against my cheek. "What happened to you, Marcy? It's like you actually turned into the monster you really are…"

I gasped, inhaling the bloody air. I didn't know such little words could affect me like that. My throat's burn intensified but I was more hurt than thirsty. I whipped around and ran away from Greyson, tears streaming down my eyes.

"Dude, what the fuck did you do?" I heard Cody say as I ran. I tried to block out the rest of their conversation with my sobs.

-x-

This time, if Lucifer found me, I would be ready. I would be able to protect myself. I was stronger, faster, and smarter now. I could take him on, even if he was more than one hundred years older than me.

I stopped running when I didn't recognize where I was. I didn't run out of breath. I was just . . . tired. My eyes hurt from crying and my heart hurt from Greyson's words.

Was I really a monster now? Is that what I really have become? A killer, a ruthless killer. That's what I am. I drink innocent people's blood for my own benefit. Even if they die, I'll live longer. I'm selfish, I'm heartless, and I'm evil. No one will ever be able to fix me because there's no going back. I am a _monster._

"No you're not," Cody said, suddenly appearing next to me.

I whipped around, ready to protect myself. I scanned Cody once, realized he was someone I knew and I relaxed.

"You scared me," I said coldly.

"I know," he replied.

We walked silently for a moment.

"Why are you here?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm here to talk to you," he replied.

I laughed and kicked a rock up, sending it flying miles away. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, but there is," was all he said.

I stopped walking. Cody stopped too. I crossed my arms. "Why are you really here?"

He sighed. "Greyson wanted me to tell you that…"

"No. I don't want to talk about him," I cut him off.

"Marcy, he's sorry. He didn't mean to say those things about you. He was just trying to get to you so you would listen to him, honestly. Greyson didn't know that you were going to take off like that. All he's going is trying to help and you have to give him some credit for that."

"Look, I know he didn't mean those things, but what he said…it really hurt."

"I know," Cody whispered. "I can read everything that's going on in your head right now."

"Well could you stop?" I snapped. "I thought my mind would be the only place where my thoughts would be private but I guess I can't get any alone time around here."

Cody touched my arm gently. "It's not like I want to read your mind, Marcy. It's what I was gifted with, and sometimes I think it's a curse. It gets loud like hell in my head when everyone's thoughts are projected into it."

I looked down. "I'm sorry for shouting. I guess I'm just a little jealous that you know your power and I don't…"

Cody laughed.

"So what's it like, reading minds?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.

Cody grew serious. "It gets irritating sometimes, hearing everything. I mean, sometimes I can use it for my benefit but most of the time it's not a necessity. Also, it can get kind of sad…"

I cocked my head. "And why is that?"

"Because you always hear more than the person meant to say. Everyone I meet, it's as if there's no secrets between us. I already know the person before they even see me… it's frustrating. There's no way to make new friends without creeping them out. Lucy is so kind to accept me for who I am. I don't know what I would do without her."

There was a sad silence.

"You probably already know this, but I still have feelings for Greyson."

Cody nodded. "I know."

"Why did I fall for him so quickly? Why am I so stubborn?"

"It was the adrenaline rush… the risk of being with someone that could instantly kill you. You secretly wanted the danger more than Greyson. You were attracted to him because he was a vampire."

I gasped. "You can't just say that!"

Cody shrugged. "Sure I can. I can read your subconscious mind, too."

"Well, stop," I said, crossing my arms.

We walked a little longer before it finally got really dark outside. I could hear the tiny insects and the gentle crunching of animal footsteps.

"Once in a while, you just have to stop running, Marcy."

I turned to look at Cody. "What do you mean?"

"You can't just run away from what you're afraid of because eventually, it will catch up to you. And when that happens, you have to be ready to turn around and look it in the eyes."

I took Cody's words into consideration. He usually interpreted everything pretty accurately.

Now that I'm a vampire, a new being, I shouldn't be afraid of anything anymore. I was strong and fast. I could easily kill someone in a blink of an eye. But why was I still scared? I don't even know what I'm scared of. I just am. I'm scared of what's next; the future can be an unpredictable thing.

"We're all scared of something," Cody said.

"I just don't want to be weak," I replied.

"It'll be okay."

I looked into his sad, knowing eyes. "That's bullshit."

Cody widened his eyes but recovered quickly. "Why?"

I shook my head and sighed. "Cody, nothing is ever going to be okay."

"How can you say that…?

"I am a vampire."

"…So?"

"You don't understand. I'll never be the same again."

"Marcy…"

I turned around and started walking back towards the house. I didn't want to talk about this. I don't care if he reads my mind all the time, there are some things I want to keep secret and I have to be away from Cody.

"You wanted to be a vampire! You wanted _this_. You did. Not me, or Greyson, but _you._ Do you really want to take it back now?"

I whipped around, anger flashing in my eyes. "I don't want to talk right now."

Cody was suddenly standing in front of me. "You need to stop running."

I sighed. "I'm not running, I'm simply…ignoring."

He grabbed my arm. "Stop, Marcy. Stop running."

"No."

I ran.

I ran as fast as I could.

I reached the front door of the Elites' house before Cody surprisingly grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him.

"What are you so scared of?"

"I need to go… I need to get out of here," I gasped.

"What, Marcy? What are you so scared of? Tell me!" Cody shouted, shaking me by the shoulders.

Tears started rolling down my cheeks.

"I'm scared of myself! I'm scared of who I am! I'm scared of what I am becoming!" I screamed.

Cody stopped shaking me. I was breathing heavily and the tears were rolling steadily.

"I just wish I could breathe again."

"You are breathing," Cody said, confused.

I shook my head furiously, my hair sticking to my wet cheeks. "But I don't _need_ it. I don't need air anymore, but right now, it's the only thing I want. I want air. I want to need air. I want to need air to live."

"But Marcy, you can breathe right now… I don't see why you're so upset about this."

I pointed at him. "You can read my mind. This shouldn't be such a mystery."

He sighed and closed his eyes. I could almost feel him digging in my head, trying to piece together everything.

"You want to be human again," he whispered. I nodded in response.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, walking closer to him.

He stopped me with a hand. "Don't. I knew this would happen. I knew you were going to regret this."

"Cody, I'm a monster."

He looked at me with piercing eyes. "So am I."

Then he walked around me and back into the forest. I hesitated for a moment, shocked by Cody's words. Then, silently, I opened the door to the house and walked in.

Suddenly, before I even managed to close the door behind me, Helena came barreling towards me, wrapping me in a shaky hug.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I'm so sorry, Marcy," she cried into my shoulder.

I pulled away. "Helena, what's wrong? Where is everybody?"

She sniffled and looked at me with her teary gray eyes. "You don't know? The Rogues came, Marcy. They attacked. You're dad is dead. I'm so sorry."

My knees buckled and I landed on the floor with a thud. Helena squatted next to me and held me as I cried.

"They…killed…him…" I sobbed. She nodded.

"Wh-wh-what?" I asked.

"You are a vampire! You weren't supposed to turn into one. They wanted to kill you before you made the transformation but Lucifer failed… they killed King Archon, Marcy. I am so sorry. I am so sorry… so sorry," she cried.

I took in a shaky breath. "Where are the others?"

"They've gone to the Council Hall. They are talking with the other council members. The Rogues have stolen our supply of Elixir. I don't know how they got in… someone must have let them in… right under our noses… we need to go…" Helena mumbled, half carrying, half dragging me out the door.

We flew through the trees quickly and quietly, Helena sobbing lightly the whole way there. I was too shocked to process any emotion, even though my brain had wrapped itself around the situation the moment Helena told me. Once we entered the meeting room, the same one where I first met the Council, everyone was tensely discussing this evening's events.

"What's going on?" I asked weakly, gasping for air.

Everyone suddenly broke off, mid-sentence. Taryn looked at me with sad eyes. Helena quickly went to join her in the empty seat next to her. Logan and Greyson were tense, unable to meet my gaze. Sir Adomis and Lady Josefina were there. They smiled sadly at me. Cody was no where to be seen.

"Welcome, Marcy. I notice you are changed now. Do you like it so far?" Lady Josefina asked; her tinkling voice weighed with sadness.

I smiled sadly back. "I'm getting used to it."

Sir Adomis cleared his throat. "Queen Celeste and Raine were unable to join us right now. I take it that you know what happened?" His eyebrow rose.

I nodded. "I know."

He smiled stiffly and turned back to Greyson and Logan. They were talking about some kind of plan… their voices were so low _I_ could _barely_ hear them. Helena and Taryn were talking lowly too. Their brows were furrowed in intense concentration.

Suddenly, Lucy barged into the room, panting. "Sorry! The animals told me what happened… is everything okay? Where is Cody?"

I looked down to the floor, suddenly embarrassed. "Cody went for a walk. We got in a little argument…"

She looked flustered. "Do you know where he is? I can't find him anywhere and I'm worried. Oh you must be devastated. I'm so sorry about your dad, Marcy." Lucy quickly enveloped me in a soft hug and a few tears rolled down my cheeks.

"I'll be… I'll be okay," I mumbled into her shoulder.

She patted my back softly and let go, joining Logan and Greyson.

I didn't want to feel sad about my dad. Not now. And suddenly, I didn't. I'd been so used to him being dead that now that he _really _was, it wasn't hard to just shut off my emotions.

"So what's going on?" she asked them, suddenly getting into 'work' mode. They glanced at her and motioned for her to sit down. Everyone was in on this master plan. . . everyone but me. I stood there awkwardly as all the vampires in the room spoke softly and quietly to each other.

Finally, Taryn looked up from her conversation with Helena and called me over.

I walked to her slowly.

"What's going on?" I whispered when I finally reached her.

She looked at me with her deep green eyes and for once I could detect sympathy. Maybe she wasn't all that bad. . .

"You're much prettier now that you're a vampire," was the first thing Taryn said to me. No sorry, no comfort, just a sniveling remark. I almost slapped her in the face but Helena glared at me.

"Thanks," I replied, sarcasm dripping from my tone like honey off a spoon. I sat down in the other seat next to Taryn, folding my hands on the table. "So what's happening?"

"We're going to infiltrate the Rogue headquarters, since they broke into ours," Helena responded. Taryn was suddenly silent. I gave her a glance and looked away. She really wasn't worth my time.

"How could they have gotten in? It all doesn't make sense," I replied, thinking of all the possible ways the Rogues could have gotten in.

"There's a barrier, a force field if you will, that protects the Casa di Notte grounds. The only way a stranger could get in is through the front gates, and that means someone must have let them in."

I widened my eyes. "The guards…?"

Helena shook her head. "Dead."

And all the while, Taryn stayed silent. She must be so terrified. I actually kind of felt bad for her.

"Then who could have let them in? Is there a spy among us?"

Suddenly, the room went quiet. I felt ten pairs of sad eyes looking at me. Abruptly, I felt nervous; had I said something wrong?

Sir Adomis spoke up. "That is exactly what we were talking about, Marcy."

Lady Josefina put her hand on Sir Adomis's shoulder. "It kills me inside to think that one of ours has betrayed us. But it is the only possibility."

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. I hated feeling betrayed, like when I found out my father was a vampire; my father…who is now dead. He isn't coming back.

I started to cry hysterically. Immediately, I felt a pair of strong arms around my shoulders.

"There there," a voice breathed. Cinnamon. Logan.

I squirmed away. "Get away from me," I cried in between my sobs.

"Marcy, I'm not going to hurt you," he pleaded.

I shook my head. "You've done enough."

I rapidly blinked the tears out of my eyes and I could see Greyson, tense in his seat, unable to look at us. Everyone else was conversing gravely again.

All these emotions were washing over me in waves. And adding to that was my sudden thirst for blood. I couldn't get a grip anymore. I couldn't even control myself and bring myself to calm down, to put all my emotions away and focus on protecting everyone.

I was hopeless.

All I could do was hurt people. None of this would be happening if I were dead. None of this.

Out of nowhere, Helena gasped. Lucy tensed. Taryn narrowed her eyes.

Unexpectedly, the doors were slammed open, wood splinters flying everywhere.

"They're here!" Sir Adomis shouted.

Logan's strong arms were suddenly around me once more, protecting me. I clung onto him, scared for out lives.

"Stay quiet," he whispered calmly into my ear.

I nodded.

We moved silently and swiftly through the chaos, finally ducking under the table.

Screams and shouts were piercing the air. My instincts told me that I needed to help, but with Logan holding me so tightly all I could do was sit and wait.

Suddenly, Logan was yanked off of me, leaving me exposed to the dangers. I tried to grab for him, but it was too late. He had been pulled into the madness.

"Logan!" I screamed. "No!"

But before I could do anything, something sharp pierced me in the back and I howled in pain. This was a new pain, one that I've never felt before. For a moment, I saw my life flash before my eyes. Was it really all over?

Shouts and screams echoed around the room and I could distinctly hear each and every one. I was also able to tell who they belonged to. Just the thought of my friends getting hurt made me die on the inside.

Furniture broke, glass smashed, walls crumbled. I couldn't do anything. I wanted to help, I really did.

More shouts, more screams. They were intensifying now. The fight was getting more heated.

This would be the end of all of us. It was all because of me that my friends had to die.

The dust in the room sent me in a coughing fit and my eyes watered. I felt cool blood leak out of the wound in my back. It stung so badly. I just wanted to yank it out. Pull out whatever was hurting me.

But before I could think of anything, I was pierced in the back once again. I thrashed and cried, groaned and screamed. But this time, I was so out of it, the pain rocking throughout me so that I couldn't do anything but slump forward and give in.

I was losing control of my body. My mind was elsewhere, my arms and legs, useless.

A pair of rough hands gripped me and dragged my away. My legs bounced helplessly behind me as I was taken down the stairs. I was fading in and out of consciousness.

How silly I was, wanting to be human again, wanting something I could never have. Too bad I won't ever be able to breathe again, human or vampire. I was going to die and this time, I won't be coming back to life.


	10. Help

**AN: While reading that chapter, please listen to Breathe Me by Sia. I listened to it on repeat throughout the whole chapter and it kind of wraps up how I was feeling and how Marcy was feeling. Big thanks to Queen of Dead Hearts for beta'ing. **

-x-

**Chapter Ten: Help**

The aching and pain in my back was what kept me from going under. I really wanted to let go, I really did, but every time I slumped forward, the stabbing in my back pulled me straight again. I felt my skin, my flesh, and my bones burn and wear away. Whatever was lodged in my back was eating me away. I could feel the huge gash it was stuck in heal over only to be reopened with any movement of any kind. I groaned, winced and cried out in pain but I was so weak. Trying to force any sound through my throat was like swallowing sandpaper.

"Help," I croaked, grasping helplessly at the musky air around me. It tasted like death and was damp and foul; an air that was hard to breathe in. But I wasn't really sure; my senses had been dulled impossibly. I wasn't even at a human sensory level anymore. I was blind, deaf and as unresponsive like a plant. I felt like I was going to slip into a coma and turn into a vegetable. Why couldn't I just go? I wanted to leave this Earth and leave everyone behind; but I couldn't really do that, could I? It was my burden to bear now. The lives of my friends were in my hands. It was up to me, it all was. I had to save everyone from this. I knew that no one actually placed this job upon my shoulders but I could sense it, feel it almost. I knew that deep down, way in the bottom of their hearts, that they were all blaming this on me. And I didn't disagree with them. I agreed one hundred percent. It was my fault, forcing Greyson to turn me into a vampire. I should have died the night Lucifer found me. But I was still alive, barely, but still breathing nonetheless. Was that fate? Is that how I was destined to live? Forever weighed down by the lives of my friends? One wrong move and they would be dead. I couldn't live like that, in constant fear. I'd go crazy and even my vampire mind wouldn't be able to dig its way through that.

What were they going to do when I couldn't take it anymore? When I made the wrong decisions and it was their lives I was putting in danger? Was it really me to blame? Of course it was me to blame.

It was always going to be me.

-x-

I opened my eyes; slowly and painfully, due to the fact that they were crusted over from tears and blood.

Focusing, I blinked rapidly a few times to adjust to the lighting of the room. It was mostly dark except for a few slabs of light that peeked in through the cracks of the wooden paneled walls that surrounded me.

_Where is Helena? Where is Lucy? And Taryn? And Logan? And Greyson? And Cody? Where are they all? Am I alone? _Panicked thoughts swarmed through my mind like a hive of enraged bees.

I shook violently, trying to break free of my bondage. My wrists started burning a little as they rubbed against my shackles.

"Wood," someone hoarsely whispered from nearby. I looked down towards the source of the sound. It was Lucy. Her blonde hair was caked in blood and mud. There were scratches, cuts, gashes and dark bruises all over her. Her clothes were torn and ripped in various places. I looked at her hands and ankles, which were also bound to the wall by wooden chains.

"Wood?" I snarled. How can such a powerful monster like a vampire be restrained by something so weak like wood? We could crush rocks with our hands but we can't break the wooden chain that hold us back?

She nodded weakly and coughed up a mouthful of blood. I looked away, heart-broken by the sight of her pain and suffering. "The wood, it hurts us. It kills us. You were stabbed in the back with a wooden stake yesterday. You could have died," she muttered faintly.

I twisted my back slowly and felt the familiar stabbing pain, except this time it wasn't as harsh. I winced and sighed, slumping forward so that the only way I was upright was by the chains that held my wrists to the ceiling.

"Where is everyone else?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded to the opposite corner of the room. There laid Helena and Logan. They were both equally battered, bruised, cut and blood covered. They were both chained to the walls with wooden chains and handcuffs. I gasped and hot tears started flowing down my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "This is my entire fault. If I hadn't even shown up in your lives, you guys wouldn't be suffering like this."

"No, silly girl," Lucy laughed faintly but coughed up some more blood. "We chose to have you in our lives. We brought this upon ourselves, Marcy. It is all of our faults."

I cried harder, my sobbing causing my back to burn and throb with pain. I felt my scab rip open and warm blood slowly oozed out.

"Damn it!" I screamed and trembled roughly, trying to break out of my restraints once again. "Get me the hell out of here! I'm going to kill all of you that did this to my friends! I will rip you limb from limb. I will make you _suffer_!" I screamed with all the power and anger I could muster.

There was no response. Helena and Logan still lay there silently, either unconscious or dead. Lucy crouched in the corner and coughed silently to herself.

"LET ME OUT!" I screamed, rattling the shackles. If I had enough strength, I would be able to rip them out of the ceiling, but I was weakened so much by the wooden stake that all I could do was shake up the dust that gathered in the cracks of the ceiling.

I sobbed quietly. "This isn't fair… they don't deserve this. Just kill me and let my friends go… please…"

Suddenly, the door creaked open and Lucifer's smirking face came into view. "I might just take you up on that offer," he said, calmly.

I growled and thrashed around, trying to hit him.

He shook his head and clucked his tongue at me. "Now now, Marcy. That is not the kind of behavior I can tolerate and you know that. Remember what happened last time?" He grinned evilly and out of nowhere, he was inches from my face. I gasped, narrowed my eyes at him and spat him in the face.

He backed up, chuckling. "Bad idea."

All of a sudden, there was a rough piece of fabric tied around my face, gagging me. My eyes started tearing up as the cloth rubbed roughly against my cheeks.

"That's better, now isn't it?" He asked me, slowly rubbing a strand of my hair between his thumb and pointer finger.

I wanted twist out of his grasp but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I watched vengefully as he toyed with me, tracing his finger down the side of my cheek and dragging it across my collarbone.

He was suddenly standing behind me and there was a jabbing in my back, right in the sore spot where the stake had stabbed me only hours ago. I jolted away in shock and pain.

"Do you remember how it feels, Marcy?" Lucifer asked as he traced a circle around my wound with something sharp. "Do you remember what it feels like to be _stabbed_ in the back?"

Slowly and painfully, Lucifer dug the pointed object into my shoulder blade. I felt it move in my flesh and immediately recognized the burning, melting sensation. It was wood.

I tried screaming but they were muffled and hopeless. Lucifer pulled the stick out, walked back to face me and smiled, revealing his fangs.

He held the blood covered stake up and examined it with mock interest. "Recognize this?" He smiled at me. "This was the exact stake the pierced your back twice."

I whimpered, feeling the wound in my shoulder healing slowly.

Lucifer nodded. "Wood has some damn effect on vampires. Just look at what it did to you little friends over there." He nodded towards them with his head.

I looked at them and my heart clenched painfully. They were my friends. They were the only thing I had left that was even remotely close to family.

"I see your little friends mean a lot to you," Lucifer said, following my gaze, as he walked around the tight little room we were trapped in. He pointed to Logan. "And this one… this one must be just a little more than a friend to you."

He paused and glanced at me. I shook my head frantically. I didn't like Logan like that, we were just friends. But Logan saved me. . .

Still, I can't reveal that I had any relationship with them at all. Maybe that way, Lucifer will leave them alone.

Lucifer chuckled.

"Watch what I can do," he said and kicked Logan in the stomach so forcefully that Logan flew back, breaking the chains and crashed right through the wall. I heard his painful groans from outside.

"No!" I screamed as more hot tears pricked my eyes. "Noooo!"

But my screams were muffled and my movements were useless. I was going to stand here and watch every single one of my friends die.

Lucifer moved on to Helena. "Ah, the best friend, the roommate. I wonder what will happen when I do this. . ." He cocked his head to the side and pulled out the stake again. He smiled at me, and then stabbed her in the arm.

Helena thrashed and shook uncontrollably. The skin around the stake turned a nasty purple and the veins darkened. Then Lucifer kicked her through the hole in the wall just as he did with Logan.

I cried harder. "Just kill me!" I begged. "Please, just kill me and leave them alone. _Please_."

Lucifer walked up to me. "What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you."

I was about to kick him, but he walked away towards Lucy, laughing. My eyes bugged out as he stepped on her shackles, snapping them. Then she held her up so that she was standing.

There was blood all over the entire front of her shirt and some where still dribbling down the corner of her mouth.

He let go of her and she wobbled some, but managed to stay standing up. Her eyes were fluttering open and closing as if she were trying to fight between life and death.

"Marcy, what's going on? Why does it hurt so much," she groaned and was cut of by another coughing fit.

Lucifer nodded and pouted sarcastically. "Yeah, Marcy. Lucy here looks like she could die. Maybe I should put her out of her misery."

I shook my head violently. "Please no! Don't, please!"

Lucifer shrugged and put two hands around Lucy's head. Then he twisted her head to the side with a sickening snap. Lucy crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

"Oops, too late," Lucifer smiled.

"You son of a bitch! You monster!" I screamed. Rage burned like poisonous fire in my mind, engulfing all rational thoughts. In that moment, I was an animal. A viciously upset, devastatingly furious animal. An animal with no higher reasoning. I was so angry I could probably set fire to what ever I looked at.

Lucifer cupped his ear with his hand. "What? I can't hear you."

I knew damn well that he could hear me.

I rattled the wooden shackles intensely. "Pull this damn cloth off me!" I mumbled, my voice muffled yet again by the cloth wrapped forcefully around my mouth.

Lucifer stepped towards me and in one swift motion yanked the cloth off my face, leaving a trail of Lucy's blood in his wake.

I recoiled in disgust. "Lucifer, you ruthless, heartless, and merciless _bastard!_" I screamed in pain and furiousness. I kicked my legs at him but he was too fast. "If you try to kill my friends again, I will kill you! I will make you regret ever being born!"

There was a silence. Amusement lit up on Lucifer's face.

"I honestly don't like empty threats. It's just so _weak_," Lucifer said, toying with his fingers, his eyes glistening like the blood on his hands.

The door flung open. My eyes shot there, hoping for a familiar face. Standing in the doorway was a beautiful stranger, a goddess. Her feminine features were soft and strong at the same time. Her dark hair fell in shimmering waves down her back. Her slender body was poised and elegant even when the look on her porcelain face was complete anger. She was dressed in fitted black pants and a simple gray v-neck. Even though it was such a casual outfit, she made it look like stunning.

"Hello, Elvira. Nice to see that you made it in time," Lucifer greeted with heavy sarcasm.

Her head snapped in his direction, her full lips pulled back to reveal her sharp fangs. "Cut the shit, Lucifer. I don't have time for you. Show me the girl."

Lucifer grunted moved away so that I was fully exposed to Elvira. Her lips curved up in a sinister smile.

"Sylvester would be proud that we finally got her," she murmured in approval, her tinkling voice was suddenly soft and sweet.

In a flash, she was standing right in front of me, the scent of blood mixed with a sickly sweet herb floated off her like steam. I gagged and coughed at the mixture of scents. My eyes started to water and my throat started burning, and not the thirsty kind of burn, more like the on fire kind of burn.

Elvira smiled. "I see you like my perfume. It's vervain, a very _deadly_ herb to us vampires. But it seems as if it has no effect on me. _How strange_."

I coughed again. "You drank Elixir," I spat at her.

Elvira clapped her hands. "Smart girl! How did you know?"

She stuck a slender finger under my chin and roughly lifted my face up so that our eyes met.

I glared at her, not responding.

"Stubborn one, this girl is," Elvira noted to Lucifer, who was now backed up against a wall. He nodded stiffly, repelled by the scent of vervain as well.

She walked to Lucy and examined her dead body. Kicking it and poking it with her foot, Elvira grimaced at the sight of Lucy's beat up body.

"Now that she's dead, she's vulnerable to the sun, no?" Elvira asked Lucifer without even looking at him.

Lucifer swallowed and nodded. How did such an evil and manipulative man turn into such a wimp at the sight of this woman?

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to do this," Elvira sneered and tossed Lucy through the wall and into the bright sun. I could hear the skin sizzling and burning off. I tried to cover my ears, but my hands were still cuffed to the ceiling.

Lucifer walked towards me and yanked the chains from the ceiling, sending me stumbling to the ground in surprise. He then ripped the wooden shackles off my wrists, careful not to poke himself with the wood.

I rubbed my raw wrists and groaned. "Why did you do that?"

"Sylvester is coming and he does not want to see you this way," Lucifer told me. Elvira was suddenly next to us, disdain written clearly on her face.

"What's the point of wanting her unchained when he's going to kill her anyway?" Elvira asked with a whine.

Lucifer eyed her with his reddish eyes. "You don't know that for sure."

Twisting a strand of her glossy hair on her pointer finger, Elvira cackled. "Oh _trust me_, I know he will. I mean, now that her daddy's dead, little Marcy here is the head of the Council. Sylvester will kill her in a blink of an eye. Not even. Without her as a road block, we can finally convert all the rest of those damned 'do-gooder' vampires onto our side and us blood suckers will finally have the power and control we deserve."

I looked around hopelessly. So this is what it's all coming down to. I'm going to die and then so is the rest of the world. But the rest of the world will come back to life. I've already had my chance.

I wiped the look of desperation of my face. "Where are Greyson and Taryn?"

Elvira picked off an invisible piece of lint on her black pants. "They're in another room, getting tested for their fucked up mind control powers. I know that Logan has some sort mind powers as well, but his isn't as strong as the others. We also tried to get our hands on the mind reader . . . what's his name . . . ? Chris? Cory?"

"Cody," Lucifer mumbled.

"Cody, yeah, same thing," Elvira snapped. "Well anyway, we looked for him in the woods, but it turns out that he isn't with us anymore." She smiled.

I gasped. "What do you mean?"

The apprehensive silence between us was only worsened by the fear the Cody might be dead, or alive.

"He's dead," she said nonchalantly.

I froze. I felt myself sink into a deeper sadness. A choked sob forced it's way out of my throat.

Elvira laughed. "Found him tangled around a tree in the most gruesome way. Have no idea how that kid did that to himself, but I'm impressed. We could've used him for some torturing strategies."

I snarled at her remark. "You are messed up, you know that? You are sick, twisted and disgusting!"

Elvira shook her head of shiny hair. "No darling, I'm just resourceful. Everything I deem useful, I won't waste."

"Am I not useful to you guys?" I asked.

She chuckled and shook her head slowly. "We're going to kill you. How useful would you be if you're going to be dead?"

And with a click of the heels on her seven inch leather boots, Elvira walked out of the small wooden room, leaving a trail of vervain in her wake.

My insides crumbled. My hope, my last chance, the glimmer in the darkness that told me one of us was still alive; it all vanished just like that. Cody was dead, and it was possibly all my fault.

_I am to blame._

_I am to blame._

_I am to blame._

For the death of Lucy, and her mate Cody, for the pain and suffering of Helena, Taryn, Greyson and Logan. It was all on me.

_I hate this guilt. I hate it so much._

_This guilt hurts more than any pain a wooden stick could ever inflict on me. I would rather be staked through the heart than have this unsettling guilt stay with me for the rest of my life._

My going-to-end-very-soon life.

"Sylvester's here," Lucifer announced to me, but I wasn't listening. I was staring blankly at the wall in front of me, watching the shadows move across it in an eerie dance.

What time was it? What was the date? How come I don't remember anything even vaguely relevant to the time, day, month or year?

The shabby door creaked open for the second time today. A tall and gangly man appeared in the doorway. He was thin, his cheeks were hollows and his eyes were surrounded by dark circles. His hands were bony and pale, the rest of his body covered by a black high-collared cloak. He smiled, revealing crooked, but still white and pointy teeth.

His eyes were the most unnatural shade of violent purple.

"Marcella Carlucci, it is an honor to finally meet you," Sylvester breathed. His breath smelled like blood, thick, warm and rich blood. My throat was immediately set aflame.

"So you've met Elvira?" Sylvester asked, stepping closer to me.

I nodded.

"Mmm, she is a feisty little kitten, isn't she?" He asked me. I held back my gag.

"I take it she's your mate?" I spat at him.

Sylvester smiled, revealing his ugly teeth once again. "Yes. I am a very lucky man. With the most beautiful woman in the world by my side, I would say I am a very dangerous threat to you little Elites."

I seethed. "You fucking wish."

Sylvester pouted with his thin lips. "Why do you talk like that to me?"

"Like what? It's what you deserve!"

"Haven't you ever heard of respecting your elders, stubborn girl?"

I bared my fangs. "You are of no worth to me," I said, twisting Elvira's words from before.

Lucifer tensed but instantly relaxed when Sylvester let out a cold chuckle. "Let's not let our conversation get violent too fast, my darling. There's still so much I would like to know before I kill you."

I stepped away from both of them. "How are you so sure that you will be able to kill me? I'm not the weak human girl anymore."

"Marcy, I understand this is your first day being a vampire, and therefore you are a newborn with no training and no control. I am more than five hundred years old. I can kill you with the snap of my fingers."

"Then if you're so powerful, why aren't you the king of the Council? Why was my dad the king when he was so much younger than you?"

Sylvester sighed. "You're dad was our king even before you were born. But he wanted to have a child so he stayed human. He was given a limit of ten years after you were born to care for you. Then he had to fake his death and finally turn into a vampire." Sylvester cringed; it looked like it pained him to talk about my dad. I smiled a little, discovering a weakness.

"Why was my dad king in the first place?" I pushed on.

"He developed the damned Elixir, okay? I ran away, formed the Rogues and now it's finally time for the world to be put where it belongs, under the hands of us vampires."

I hissed in his face. "Like that will _ever_ happen."

"Don't get cocky," Sylvester warned. Lucifer was suddenly much closer to me that he was before, ready to pounce.

"When this world is finally turned under vampire rule, it will be over my dead body," I snarled.

Suddenly, Lucifer was behind me, holding my hands in an iron grip behind my back and simultaneously yanking my head back so my neck was exposed. But what could Sylvester do? It's not like he could drink my blood.

Sylvester smirked. "That might be a little easier than you think."

I struggled and tried to fight back.

Sylvester licked his lips. "I wish so badly I could still taste your sweet blood. Too bad you're one of us now. I guess I'll just have to. . ." He trailed off and pulled out a syringe out of his dark cloak.

My eyes widened at the clear liquid inside the syringe.

"Are you going to inject that into me?" I choked out. It was getting harder and harder to breathe in the position Lucifer held me in.

Sylvester's evil purple eyes twinkled with excitement. "The vervain will only hurt a bit, dear Marcy."

He traced a finger along the side of my cheek and across my jaw line. Then he stuck the syringe into my neck.

I felt the vervain flow into me slowly and painfully, searing my veins that were conveniently running low on blood. I gasped and howled in pain.

I fell to the floor, writhing in agony. My toes curled, my hands formed fists, the skin inside my burned with an invisible flame.

The hours flashed before my eyes as my body twisted and shook with uncontrollable pain.

I watched wearily as Lucifer and Sylvester walked out of the room, pleased looks on their faces. I waited for my friends, but they never came or made a sound. I knew the Lucy was dead for sure, but what about the rest of them? Were they all dead to, just like what I was going to be?

-x-

It seemed like eternity until the wooden finally creaked open once again. The last of the vervain had finally burned itself through my body and veins, leaving my limp and numb.

From my position on the ground, I looked to see who as the door. I was still weak so my eyesight wasn't nearly as good as it could be. Plus, it was dark outside so the figures looked tall and mysterious.

"Marcy? Helena? Logan? Lucy? You guys here?" A female voice asked; a very familiar female voice. I held my breath; in case it was someone I knew that was going to hurt me. My brain was too exhausted to comprehend the good and the bad now.

"Guys? Are you in here?" A male voice was speaking now. It was also very familiar. I tilted my head up so that my ear was in the open air.

I heard the footsteps walk around the room. There were gasps and sobs as the two people discovered the mangled bodies of my half dead (and dead) friends.

Finally, they stopped at me.

"Marcy? Are you . . . are you okay?" The female asked in a soft tone. Her voice cracked a little, like she was crying.

I shook my head weakly, hoping they could see it. I didn't want to move. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and die.

"She's badly injured," the male said. "I don't know if she's conscious or not."

"Well check! I don't want to leave any of them here to die," the female responded in an urgent voice.

I heard shuffling and suddenly two arms were flipping me on to my back. I winced as pressure was applied to the scars the wooden stakes had formed.

"Marcy, can you hear me?" The male choked out. How come I still can't tell who they are?

I coughed a little, clearing my throat. "I'm fine," I whispered hoarsely.

The two people simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

The girl broke down crying. I could hear her sobs.

"Marcy, it's me, Greyson. Taryn is with me. We're both relatively unharmed. We're going to take you home."

It was Greyson and Taryn. They finally came. They heard my plea for help. I am saved, Helena is saved, and Logan is saved. But Lucy, Lucy will never be saved. I will be forever in her debt. I will fight till my death for her because she did the same for me. I will not allow Lucy to die in vain.

"Lucy is dead," I cried out in a strangled voice.

"We know," Greyson said.

I cried a little harder. "And Helena and Logan, they're okay?"

"They're unconscious but alive."

It felt as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. They were still alive.

"Take me home?" I asked.

I heard Taryn scramble around and carry Helena and Logan's body out of the shack.

Greyson brushed a bloody piece of hair out of my face. "Yes Marcy. We are here to take you home."

Never had such simple words bring so much relief into me. Never had such simple and plain words make me feel so safe and so protected.

I couldn't help the tears of joy that slid down my blood covered face.


End file.
